


Summer Days

by Are_Koalas_Real



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Gen, Holocaust references, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Virginity, Mild Language, Multi, Oral Sex, Ororo is confused, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Summer, Underage Drinking, Vaginal Sex, peter is horny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:47:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 89,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28730700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Are_Koalas_Real/pseuds/Are_Koalas_Real
Summary: Xavier's trying to reopen the school and is experiencing minor issues. Ororo's trying to fit in after siding with a genocidal maniac and is experiencing minor issues. Scott's trying to learn to be an adult and is experiencing minor issues. New teachers are trying to fit in and are experiencing minor issues. Topped with the fact someone is hunting the former Horsemen of Apocalypse as if it were sport, the summer of 1983 was a complicated one...
Relationships: Elizabeth Braddock/Kurt Wagner, Elizabeth Braddock/Ororo Munroe, Hank McCoy/Raven | Mystique, Jean Grey/Scott Summers, Kurt Wagner/Ororo Munroe/Elizabeth Braddock, Moira MacTaggert/Charles Xavier, Ororo Munroe/Kurt Wagner, Peter Maximoff/Jubilation Lee
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	1. Summer Started So Simple

A/N: Don’t own this universe or fictional properties.

Hi all, hope we’re having a great. I felt like writing a casual story that slowly builds up into more intensity at a hopefully natural rate. I felt like writing this as few fics deal with the fallout of Apocalypse, or deal with the fact Ororo had joined. Or really feature Psylocke a lot and some other side characters a lot. Or if Xavier ever managed that mixed species campus idea he mentioned in XM:A. So I wanted to delve into them a little.

The first two or three chapters will be slice of life stuff that sets up some of plot threads for the rest of the story. Still not entirely sure about pairings, so feel free to give ideas and feedback. After the third chapter, it will start getting a bit darker and delve into some more action and drama related stuff.

And I hope you enjoy the story.

***

June was always a mixed bag of a month for most. The Summer break was still nowhere near ending, meaning plenty of individuals were still lying about relaxing, sleeping, tanning, drinking, partying. Anything to enjoy the fleeting freedom from schooling they were otherwise used to. Beaches and lakes were often swarming with eager families and groups, all desperate to enjoy a reprieve from the heat. The same heat that often cursed many others who were not on break.

Like the people currently occupying a reasonably spacious Headmaster’s Office, most of whom were seemingly huddled around two small desk fans. Two of the gathered group were seated behind the large wooden desk currently adorned with several folders, ledgers, books and files, both facing the seated woman who was almost panting in front of them. The fourth participant in the meeting, a bulk of a man, was standing stiffly by the door, staring unblinkingly at the bald man leading the discussions.

While the heat was not the main reason the meeting was uncomfortable, it surely contributed to it. The seated woman developed a habit of swiping her dark skin with a small handkerchief the moment any perspiration appeared. The bald man, sitting rather promptly in his wheelchair, felt his business suit cling to his body and experienced minor irritation at the fact his shirt was already too damp to simply remove his jacket. The lanky, bespectacled man dressed in a pale blue business shirt had already made that mistake. Noticeable wet patches covered his shirt where his clothing was resting against his damp skin. Even the silent, stocky man at the back was sweating terribly. His blank face hid any signs of discomfort or annoyance, however. Even in his thick, dark suit, he looked the same as he would in any meeting or formal discussion: inhumanly neutral.

“Again,” The small woman said as a thin grin formed, “We want to thank you for meeting with us. Education regulation meetings often scare prospective schools. This is just a fantastic campus for these kids.” Her hands each made a popping motion as she uttered ‘ _fantastic_ ’.

The bald man chuckled, intertwining his fingers as he gave her a short nod. “We are very proud of the grounds and equipment we can provide the students with. We strongly believe education isn’t just about teaching children points on a syllabus chart but providing a supportive and engaging environment.”

“On that we can both agree.” The lady smiled again before pausing, “There’s just some…small...ish details we need to discuss before we can regulate this kind of school.” Her tone turned meek as she began to open a rather fat folder.

“We’ve been regulated and recognised as a school since the late sixties.” The lanky man interrupted, his glasses dropping slightly down his nose as he spoke, “We gave you all that documentation when we applied to update the licenses and comply with the new standards.”

“Yes.” The woman agreed but her fingers were tapping the paper in what appeared to be anxiousness, “But as you both know we have a tighter definition of what qualifies as a private school now. It’s part of some attempt to crack down on money laundering or something. So, that’s why I’m here.” Her thin, nervous smile widen somewhat, “To go through some things that are minor and easily adjustable so we can get this school to legal standard by the next school year.”

“And we are most certainly happy to make any changes that improves our quality of education,” The bald man added, a polite smile forming, “So how can we help?”

The moment the question was asked several files and sheets of paper were hastily thrown towards him. He passed several of them to the man beside him and made a point of putting a weight on the documents they weren’t reading so the small fan did not scurry them. They were employee lists that had been lodged per tax cycle for seemingly the last twenty years. Several gaps in years existed but that was due to the school not running during a period in the late sixties and early seventies.

“You appear to have two current staff members listed as teachers. Across fifty-seven students. Across a twelve-year teaching range. This is problematic for just a few reasons.” She drew out the last word nervously and avoided eye contact.

Instead, she chose to focus on various tax forms the school had submitted. A small laugh escaped the bald man as he leaned back, relaxing somewhat as he quickly ascertained where she was going with this.

“I teach literature, sociology, biology, and theology classes while Doctor McCoy teaches the rest of STEM. We are currently seeking new staff before the school year begins to cover the rest of the required subjects.”

“Right…” The lady hummed as she made several notes, “And you mentioned several classes. I’m wondering if you teach any arts based classes? History? Physical education?”

“Well, that is why we’re looking for new staff.” The lanky man shyly repeated, “Most of our previous teachers were enlisted during the seventies. And since then, we had a decrease in student numbers and we’ve only just gotten to the point where we have enough students to need more people.”

“Hmm.” The woman hummed again, making more notes, “Do you have any investors?”

“I wish.” The bald man laughed before leaning forward and handing her a folder, “No. All funding is internal. Well, being from me.”

“Wealthy man. I’m envious.” The woman gave a chuckle that the three of them shared, “Well, you’re insured and have processed nearly all the paperwork already, which is good.” She mumbled to herself as she flipped through her folder, “And you still meet all the safety requirements. For most students.” Her breath hitched and the bald man quirked a brow.

“Most?”

A series of awkward and uncomfortable sounds emitted from the woman as she dabbed her forehead again. The lanky man shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he tried to decipher her last hiccup of a comment. His colleague had no such issue. His hands tightened around each other.

“Please remind me. What part of the state education board are you from?” He asked politely.

While his mouth was curved in a rather pleasant and relaxed smile, his eyes were tight and unyielding. It was not unnoticed by the quivering woman in front of him.

“The Government…The new education regu-”

The floundering woman was cut off by a brisk yet surprisingly soft voice.

“The government is curious about what safety precautions you have in place in case a mutant loses control and harms a student, teacher or bystander.”

The lanky man went to rise from his chair but was halted by the headmaster raising his hand to quell him. The older man’s smile never left him but neither did his intense gaze. The man across from him returned it and did not bother moving from his stiff place by the wall.

“What part of the government are you from, if she is from the education board?” The Professor asked carefully.

“Why bother asking when you can take that information? If you don’t already have it?” Was the curt reply.

The older man’s smile finally left him and he sighed. “I don’t abuse gifts,” He said earnestly but the other man didn’t shift his expression, “Military?”

“Of sorts.”

“Are we under arrest?”

“Not yet. Your actions in Cairo as well as the actions we think you were involved with in Washington a decade ago have…earnt you that.”

A heavy pause sat in the room. The bald man quickly understood the near panicking woman’s anxieties. She knew who he was and what he could do. They both did. The man beside him never stopped staring at the stocky individual, his hand flexing underneath his chair as if practicing different methods to slash and strike him.

“Why are you here?”

The softly spoken question was met with another thick silence. This time, the woman collected herself and smiled tightly, offering him the folder she first gave him to look at when they arrived to appraise the school’s current educational qualities.

“We do honestly want to see if this place can run as a school. For everyone. That much is why I’m here. We…We just have some questions about the safety of the students and those that are not…special. You…You’ve made a point of wanting to advertise placements in…normal outlets. Even on local radio. And the marketing ideas you mentioned lacked…any limits to...”

It was true. Previous marketing materials the school had tried, such as a television advertisement featuring student Jubilation Lee, had angled the school being a mutant focussed campus. Proposed ideas were now focused on a co-ed system, one that emphasised equal teaching. A cynical part of the bald man’s head naturally drifted towards assigning that fact as the reason why the government was suddenly interested. Advertise to mutants only, and no one cares about safety regulations. Suggest mixed learning, and suddenly everything needs inspecting.

“We want to offer both humans and mutants the ability to study here.” The older man cut in, his voice still softer than before, “We don’t believe in discriminating against either kind. That’s why we plan to expand. We have a lot of safety precautions for the multiple groups in place.”

“Such as?” The man across the room asked.

“Such as training people to use their gifts easily. Taking time to for students to master them. Putting students with more…difficult gifts in environments that are safe for both them and others. Rooms lined with,” The Professor scratched his temple absently, “steel walls or easy access to fire extinguishers. First aid training is mandatory. So is not using your gifts outside training sessions. And not in public. Strict rules that we place on everyone.” He stared directly at the man, “We’ve been teaching gifted students for decades. We know what we’re doing. This can be a very special, safe and functioning school.”

“That has a minor habit of blowing up so only the foundations remain. And repairing itself within a week, bigger and better.” The man paused, “I’d love to know what construction company you employ. We could use them for a lot of government programs.” He added dryly.

“That was a gas leak caused by a very dodgy company, I’m afraid.” The Professor countered, “May I ask why you believe otherwise?” The bald man asked.

“A former colonel was somewhat less than quiet about his attitudes towards this place and, in particular, you.”

Both men behind the table went rigid once more and felt a wave of frustration and animosity sink through them.

“Oh?” The older man asked, almost casually, “And how is he? I…I seem to recall hearing him being involved in some unethical testing that, when exposed, embarrassed some members of the government after it was revealed mutants saved Cairo.”

For the first time in the entire discussion a physical reaction was drawn from the large man. It was a faint tightening of the jaw, but it occurred nonetheless. A smirk formed on the lanky man but it was just as swiftly shoed away by the following retort.

“He’s been dealt with. Unlike the people who, on camera, appear to have snuck into a military compound, damaged property, stole a multi-million dollar prototype aircraft and aided someone who slaughtered the entire base. Someone who has since disappeared.”

“My students were kidnapped. We have evidence of that, just as you have your evidence. Which is arguably why we’re being so polite today. And no, we haven’t seen the man who caused that…chaos, either. On that, I can assure you.”

“I’m sure you can.”

“Are you here just to be passive aggressive?” The lanky man added.

“We’re here to assess if having a mutant focussed school or a mutant-human co-ed is safe idea. One worth…government backing.” The last two words were almost spewed from large man’s mouth as he grimaced, “Some lefties in government think that it could be a good way of minimising issues in the long run. Typical logic. A kid slashes someone with a pocketknife and it’s because they didn’t go to a supportive school. They’re not the problem, are they?” The man sneers, “It’s the systems fault for being broken and not helping the kid. Now replace kid with mutant, and pocketknife with the ability to explode.”

“If raised right, everyone can be a great asset to society and helpful to others.” The Professor countered smoothly but he was only met with a scoff.

“Of course. Except those who can’t. But no, we dare no speak of that possibility. Mutants saved us from another mutant. We have to treat them well.” He sneered again.

“I think,” The lady quickly interjected before further verbal jousting could continue, “you have a solid financial basis. You appear to have a strong graduation rate, for a school of your…nature. And given that none of your former students appear to be dangerous to society, we are honestly curious about the greater ramifications this type of school possesses. So, we wish to observe you and see how this type of school functions and if it is wise to support or disprove of…more of these schools. We just need you to work with us on some things.”

“Such as?” The headmaster asked carefully.

“Well, we need you to be up to regulation. Which means you need to teach the standard subjects as well as some electives. That goes for each year of education, by the way. As well as having subjects to meet each grade’s requirements, you’ll need a qualified teacher for those subjects. Now, two of you legally won’t cut it for a school with…I believe it is just under one hundred enrolled pupils for next year? Including those not living on campus, of course.”

“Yes, ninety-three.”

“So, you need to meet these syllabus standards.” She explained, placing several folders between them.

Each outlined a subject’s requirements and the curriculum that was needed to be followed. As well as the required texts and equipment for the proper teaching of said subjects.

“We will…also need to discuss the specific safety model your institution follows to ensure maximum safety of everyone involved. We may do this just before year begins, but we believe it is well worth noting what measures are in place to protect children.”

“I am more than happy to walk you through every fire drill, medical kit and evacuation procedure we have.” The lanky man smiled.

A smile that was not returned as the woman shifted uneasily before her last point. She opened and closed her mouth several times before the man spoke in her place.

“We want to have random, unplanned inspections to assess the quality of education and safety of this place. That is not negotiable.”

The two educators exchanged looks before the elder of the two nodded. A smile formed once more and he offered his hand to the lady in front of him.

“I cannot say how excited I am to show you what this school offers _everyone_.”

***

The meeting soon ended after discussing minor formalities and legalities related to ensuring the school was still legally recognised as a functional private centre for excellence. The man at the back never spoke again and did not return any offers to shake hands as he was being led to their car. Xavier had taken a brief but careful look into his mind but only saw memories of random and inconsequential moments of the man’s life. It was disorientating but that was no doubt the point. He had made a very clear attempt to stop the telepath from understanding his thoughts and to his credit, it had somewhat succeeded. Not entirely, though. The telepath was able to see some lingering thoughts and memories. He was clearly agitated to be surrounded by so many “ _Muts_ ” as he phrased it in his mind. And he also very clearly detested playing driver to the member of the state education board for the day. The latter individual was far easier to understand. She was terrified but appeared genuine in her curiosity to see if a mutant school was a wise and supportable idea. It wasn’t confidence she had but it was something.

The two teachers watched as the car exited the gates and the professor slapped his knee enthusiastically.

“I knew this day would come, Hank. If we proved we weren’t a threat, that we could help people, they would understand.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little hasty?” Hank asked uneasily, following his old friend into the mostly empty mansion.

“Oh, I do not. I read their minds. They were genuinely interested in this place. And for once, it was for our educational merits.” The smile never faded as they strolled back towards Xavier’s office, “The expansion can actually happen, if this works. We can be a real symbol for co-existence and educational excellence. Much better than that _St. Helda’s_.” He spat, his face dropping as he briefly remembered a rather uncomfortable meeting with the headmistress of a nearby Catholic school at a conference.

“They want to spy on us.”

“Of course.” Xavier said simply, making Hank’s frown deepen, “We have powers that could end all life on the planet. Worth noting how we have safety procedures used to ensure nothing harms any students or bystanders. No. I don’t worry about that. After all, this is a school. They need to be careful how to handle us. There’s a difference between a house explosion we can blame on poor gas repairmen and the U.S. Army storming our front gates. One can be explained to the media, the other can’t.”

“Unless mutants are hated again.” Hank countered softly and Xavier nodded in thought.

“Unless we’re hated again. And that’s why we make sure we’re not.” He smiled, leading them into his office and allowing Hank to sit down again, “This is it, Hank. Co-existence.”

“Yeah, well, we’re gonna need to find some teachers within two months.”

“We can advertise in papers and I’m sure the teacher’s union will gladly help. We could always ask Ms. Lee for another video advertisement?”

“And do we tell them that this is a place for mutants before or during the interview?” Xavier froze and began to chew on his tongue as he thought.

“Now…That is the question. That is the question.”

***

The bright blue sky was immediately shaded with red for a brief moment before it faded as soon as it came. Several seconds later, another burst of ruby tore the sheets of the watery sky apart only to disappear. By the third time, it lasted well over a minute.

Careful to avoid any tree or, God forbid, students, Scott had isolated himself and his companion towards the far end of the grounds. Few students played or relaxed this far into the trees, preferring to relax near the lake or the smaller trees near in the campus buildings. The restrooms were close to that section of the grounds, after all. Along with the several reclining wooden chairs provided in the summer months for the students who elected to stay during the Summer break. Or for those that had no where else to return to.

With a deep grunt, Scott dug his foot into the dirt and braced himself again. His index finger touched the side of his sleek, silver and red visor. The finger never stopped shaking. Rolling the tip of his finger in a small circular motion against a small mechanism, he immediately felt his head and upper body jerk back. He had become accustomed to seeing red. He’d accepted that there was a good chance he’d only see red for the rest of his life. He had yet to grow used to the sheer force escaping his eyes each time he removed a set of ruby glasses or his newly acquired visor. The tip of red vision disappeared as he rolled down his visor’s lens, offering him a small snippet of other colours before being flooded with a red beam. A red beam that missed the wooden target completely.

“Hmm. Damn bro, not the greatest training montage I’ve seen. Not the worst, though.” The silver haired delinquent stated as he munched on what appeared to be dried apricots.

Scott had long since given up inquiring about the ever-eating man’s eating tastes. Peter never seemed to miss an hour without devouring something to replace the energy he’d lost during his sprints. As the blast ended, the glasses wearing teen took a moment to get used to himself again and looked up, seeing the grass ahead severely hit and dug up. The reasonably sized cardboard cut out of Mark Hamill still remained.

“Fourth time’s the charm?” Peter offered with a shrug before noticing his snack had finished.

Without blinking, Scott noticed Peter in the same spot but in a slightly different position with an entirely different piece of food in his hand. Some dried bananas this time.

“It’s this stupid pushback. Almost got me killed in Cairo, too. It’s like…I don’t know, man. Like getting a damn wave smacked into your face.”

“You know I have to deal with that feeling every time I run? Right? I run…against…wind…at…super…sonic…speeds.” Peter said as slowly as he could muster.

Scott returned with a foul hand gesture but nodded at the cut out again. He straightened once more, preparing for the exposure of force his eyes would erupt, before lowering his visor once more. The force knocked his aimed off yet again. His eyes flicked away from his intended aim as he was overcome with recoil. He was closer, however. But only by several inches. At this rate, the Professor would be taxing him or putting him on maintenance duty for the next month. A soft hand gripped the back of Scott’s head, with another on his neck.

“Peter? What the fuck, man? Get the-” “Try now.” He suggested, “I tried this with da…someone when I was breaking into something. Helped with whiplash then.”

Scott, knowing full well he couldn’t physically contend with arguably the second strongest mutant in his friend group outside of Jean, gave a short sigh. He aimed his head directly at the cut out and gave a thumbs up. The grip on his head and neck tightened. His fingers soon returned to his visor and another sigh escaped him. Then a large beam of red escaped soon afterwards. Unlike the other beams, which danced and lolled about in several directions, this one went straight forwards like a spear hurling into a boar. The cut out shattered, or rather did so in the closest way cardboard could shatter under the force of train. Peter gently let go but Scott didn’t shut off his beam. He simply let it out, getting used to the differences in force his face felt without the initial blowback throwing him off. It was a very odd experience, like having an impossibly powerful fan turned on maximum aimed at your face constantly. He gently moved his head side to side, feeling how his body changed and shifted under the new weight and pressure. After half a minute, he switched it off.

“Um, thanks.” He said, giving Peter’s shoulder a pat.

“No problem. Now that I’ve help you-”

“How much money do you owe now?”

“What? Oh, _that_. Nah, I’ve sorted that. I never knew the fine for illegally breeding roadrunners was so _big_. But no. Look, kinda a bit ‘older’,” He put in air quotations, “than the rest of you kids. And while I’m loving being part of the team and-”

“Spit it out, Peter.”

“Need to meet some local chicks, man. My age. Hot ones, if possible.”

The request was met with a scoff and a shake of a head. Scott began walking towards the campus again, suddenly feeling that today’s training lesson was over. Peter was naturally beside him within a moment.

“C’monnnnnnnnn. You have a redhead. A cute one. It’s just…kinda a lawsuit if I try…”

“I’m not a local, you idiot. How the hell would I know women in their late-”

“Mid.”

“-twenties?”

“Huh. Always assumed you lived here for years. You have that indoor cat kinda vibe.”

Scott frowned and stopped as they reached the stack of seats that several students were occupying. They were a common place for relaxing and tanning, so long as you abided by the rules on ‘ _appropriate_ ’ tanning attire. He turned to Peter, mentally assessing how swift his beams were and if they were possible of breaking the sound barrier.

“Indoor cat? Indoor cat. What do you mean ‘indoor cat’?”

“I think he means you look very rough and not user friendly, but you like routine and structure.” Replied a bubbly Asian girl tanning on her stomach, “Not an indoor cat, more a conformist really.”

“How dare you?” Scott asked, hand on his chest, “I got us all to break curfew when Kurt first got here. Plus, how many rides do I take everyone on?”

“Dude, I broke into the Pentagon as a teenager.”

“I used to live in a mall for a few weeks. Like, live in a mall’s roofing system.” Jubilee added, shifting so she could bronze her stomach and chest as well, “You’re the little fish here, Scotty.”

Scott huffed but quickly nodded, an almost cruel smile forming on his face.

“So I’m lame, then? Well, it’s my duty as normal person to show you why I was the cool kid back in my old school.”

“Was it a school of one?” Jubilee asked dryly but Scott had already left by then, “So, Peter, you look…”

He was also gone almost as soon as Scott. She huffed, reaching down to get her sunglasses as she tried to ignore the frustration of Peter yet again ignoring her. It was originally upsetting, to annoying, to now just plain pissing the seventeen-year-old off. A simple ‘ _Hi Jubilee_ ’ would suffice.

Scott had made it upstairs where the male dorms were within a matter of moments, grinning as he thought several ideas over. While his comment of being the ‘ _cool_ ’ was a slight exaggeration, he certainly was never considered lame or boring by anyone. His fondness for sport and destruction of school property with his former high school buddies saw to that. He soon opened his door and was once again grateful he was given his own room. Teenagers were allowed their own space while younger students were given a ‘ _buddy_ ’ to share a room with. Though, if the Professor’s comments about increasing students were true, Scott may have his own ‘buddy’ soon. It was a very sparse room, given he’d only been here for several weeks. A large suitcase was at the base of his bed. He had a simple wooden desk, a fan to battle the heat, and some textbooks for the year ahead. That, aside from some family photos and a football, summed up his current state of living.

One that was immediately thrown apart when a silver haired individual appeared on his bed.

“I’m really starting to think you don’t prefer women.” Scott stated as he stared at the man eating an apple.

“No man’s butt can compare to that of a woman’s.” Was Peter’s simple reply.

That and a shrug. Scott shook his head and returned to thinking of ways of irritating the school. He was never a ‘ _conformist_ ’ by any stretch of the word. In fact, he’d spent more than his fair share in detention proving otherwise. There was one idea that was suggested to him at his old school but that was just before he transferred. He never saw the outcome of what his friends did, if they did go through with it.

“How much food dye can you steal for me?” He asked Peter.

“Hmm. We talking the stuff you put on a cake or the stuff that put into carrots to make them orange?”

“Peter…Peter that’s not real. We keep telling you that you need to stop read-”

“Okay, Reagan,” Peter huffed, “You know Kurt could help steal shit.”

“He’s a devout Catholic.” Scott scoffed, smirking at the older man, “Any better-”

“KURT!”

Within a moment, blue smoke and the sickening smell of sulphur appeared in Scott’s room. The two males gagged violently, Peter disappearing completely as Scott aggressively beat his chest to calm down his lungs. A panicked, trembling teen the shape of a bean and the colour of the night started patting Scott’s back.

“Vi am zo, zo zorry.”

“We…We told you…not in…small spaces. Christ.” Scott gasped, slowly getting breathable air back.

Peter was back in the room soon after, his face red and the veins in his neck swollen. He gave the teleporter a foul look before remembering who called him there in the first place. A silent apology was then given.

“Kurt, our magical friend, good to see you.” Peter said as he wrapped his arm around the small teen’s shoulders.

“Ja. Vit iz good to zee you, too. Vhy-”

“Scott here needs to prove to an apathetic twenty-six-year-old and a baiting seventeen-year-old that he hasn’t lost his…spark. Or some shit.”

“Lanvage.” Kurt tattered as he sat on the table, directly in front of the fan.

“Yeah, cool. Um, forgive me. Or something. Anyway, he needs us to help him prove he’s still cool to himself.”

“I don’t need to prove it.” Scott cut in but Peter rolled his eyes and then instantly appeared beside him.

“Why pull a prank then?”

“Well. Well, it’s Summer. We’re in a school and people want to unwind. It’s our civic duty to the student cohort to complete this mission.”

“Vich is?” Kurt asked meekly, wrapping his tail around his thigh nervously.

“We’ve gonna steal a shit tone of food dye. Mix it with water. Put it in water balloons. And coat the outside walls.”

A loud yawn broke through his suggestion and Scott’s finger quickly went to his visor.

“Faster than you, bro.” Peter warned, “Just saying. Kinda lame idea. Basic, y’know?”

“And your idea is?” Scott challenged and Peter, for once, stopped fidgeting as he thought.

“We need access to cement. No, too difficult. Industry grade super glue. And access to the staff lounge. The locked one.” He turned to Kurt, “You got a good sense of humour?”

***

The school was an uncomfortable place for Ororo for many reasons.

Firstly, the small and intimately woven cohort of students would stare at her nervously wherever she went. She did not blame them. For she was the Horsemen of Pestilence, the one who sided with a would-be god and his desperate attempt to instil his ideologies of strength upon the world. He did not need to offer the now white-haired girl much. It was less an offer of power and more one of purpose and belonging. An offer that still haunts her as she settles in.

Secondly, while she had some education in Cairo, she had not experienced a lot of it. Having lost both parents at a young age and needing to quickly educate herself on less…pleasant means of living, she never attended any academy such as this. The thought of actually sitting with teachers and texts and pens and journals once more made a knot in her stomach. But she couldn’t figure out why. She was in no danger, outside of a student verbally berating her for her previous actions. And she was not lacking in determination to learn new things, unlike some of the children she had come across so far. No, there was a mild feeling of being too dumb for it. It was childish, silly little feeling. But it was the exact same one she had faced when she first started school as a child. With all of the louder, smarter sounding children making her so much smaller. Now, it had resurfaced in this school as well.

Apocalypse would laugh and scoff at her insecurities when she admitted them to him. She still felt a part of him, as well. Her hair and newfound powers were a very tangible reminder. But she also felt him in the back of her head, memories of his voice and commands still echoing in her mind. It had faded after his death but some of it still remained. Along with the link to the other Horsemen. When their ranks had grown, Apocalypse had linked parts of their minds together as well as to his. ‘ _It will increase your strength as a group_ ’ he had explained. All it did was make her feel what the others felt. Warren, the violent yet sensitive angel, was the only one she could not feel anymore. His death had seen to that. It was a true shame. Out of anyone, he would have been the mostly likely to join her here. He was like her in many ways. Lost, upset, and hurt but still had a good heart. But she could still feel the others.

Erik was the most common, being the most emotionally irrational of the group. She still felt his rage, his pride but also his pain. He was still suffering a terrible loss. Elizabeth was harder to feel, though Ororo guessed that was because Elizabeth did not allow herself to feel much. She was proud, like Erik, and felt extreme passion in conflict. Ororo could feel the ecstasy pouring into her mind from Psylocke’s experiences in the battle at Cairo. But once their master was slain, in part due to Ororo no less, the purple haired women shut herself down. Perhaps to hide from Ororo and Erik. But possibly due to Elizabeth coming to terms with her newfound lack of power. The assassin felt alone. Very alone.

Ororo turned a corner, heading down the female dorm towards the stairs when several small boys ran into her. Laughing, they stepped back and froze. One of them, a boy with white and black hair, let his mouth drop as he stared at the Horseman. They ran. They ran fast. Ororo’s shoulders sagged but she didn’t stop walking.

“Hey! Apologise now!” A voice called but the children had already disappeared.

“You do not need to come to my defence.” Ororo said to the redhead that was coming up her rear, “I am nearly an adult.” She hissed, careful to pronounce her English well.

“They’re brats and they need to stop. You helped us. If memory services correct, you got the final blow.” Jean smirked but her words had little effect on the dark skinned teen across from her.

“I almost killed you. Everyone. Those actions…They bare weight.”

“Like that time you shot me with lightning.”

They both turned to see a silver haired man walking surprisingly slow towards them. His eyes were the opposite, however. He scanned both women and then around them. Within a single second, his posture had shift slightly three times. As had his position on the floor.

“You girls…You girls seen Kurt?” He asked carefully before Jean could snap at his earlier comment.

Ororo raised an eyebrow and Jean rolled her eyes.

“The blue one you get shy around.” Ororo’s eyes narrowly dangerously but Jean took little notice of it, “No, we haven’t. Why?”

Peter looked sheepish and offered a mild chuckle.

“We were meant to meet by the stairs. Maybe he meant-” Peter vanished once more, leaving the girls alone.

Ororo’s eyes were still narrowed as they began to walk.

“Oh, c’mon. As if you didn’t know who Kurt was. I don’t need to be a telepath to know that observation.” Ororo huffed.

She had only known the ‘ _elf_ ’, as he was called by many, for three weeks. The same time as the rest of the group. And while she was fixated on him, it was more due to fascination. Outside of Raven and Apocalypse, and at times Doctor McCoy, Kurt was the most…mutant person she’d ever met. With a tail to boot. He simply fascinated the weather witch. But such a fascinated, along with her discomfort in being a school that seemingly wanted her dead, caused awkwardness in attempting to speak to him. It was the same on Kurt’s part. The socially inadept boy was nearly catatonic whenever he was forced to have a long conversation with a newcomer that wasn’t centred on Christ or a saint. It was a nightmare for him to even think of being invited to a party and needing to _mingle_.

“So, I take it you’ve heard about the Professor’s plans for having more students soon?” Jean asked as they started down the stairs.

“I have. I do hope man-”

A burst of foul-smelling smoke threw the conversation away. A dusty and very confused looking Kurt was panting in front of them. His eyes were wide and scanning each part of his surrounding frantically, as if trying to avoid some prowling predator in the jungle. In his arms were several large white tubs. Each coated in ‘ _Biohazard_ ’ warnings.

“Kurt, where have you been?” Ororo queried as she tried to understand the scene before her.

“Vi do not know!” He exclaimed and looked down at his loot, with what appeared to be panic forming.

A tiny gush of wind signalled the presence of Peter, who already had the tubs in hand.

“VILL VIS KILL ME?!” Kurt shouted and Peter, without a single expression on his face, shrugged.

“Honestly, don’t know dude. I advise a hot shower. Meet us in the…” He froze as he finally acknowledged the presence of the two girls he was less than a metre away from, “We’ll meet later at the _place_.” He whispered.

And with that, Peter was gone. Kurt looked at the bewildered girls once again, his breathing increasing dramatically. Jean reached out and was about to ask what he had taken but she only touched smoke. Ororo winced as she tried to ignore his…trace.

“What in the god was that about?” She asked but her telepathic friend didn’t reply.

Jean merely glared at the air before storming off.

“They’re being suspicious and I don’t like not knowing what they’re planning. C’mon.”

***

“Like hell I’m letting the government near me.” Raven snapped, smacking a hand on the staff kitchen table.

The ‘ _staff lounge_ ’ was a small room on the ground level, tucked away from the rest of the classes and student occupied rooms to ensure a level of privacy. Despite it being smaller than most staff lounges, the fact only two official staff were working meant that everything felt bigger. Hank didn’t know if that last fact was a benefit or just sad.

“Raven, this is what we’ve-”

“You’ve.”

“-always wanted.” Charles explained to his foster sister, “A true place of harmony.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard that Beatles record. Is it any good?” Raven scoffed, turning away from the pair of men and towards her brewing coffee.

“Let’s be mature.” The Professor sighed, “We can finally achieve some peace. For the children, no less. And, on top of that, we can be a proper school that has weight in the education system. This could inspire more mutant schools if we gain government support.”

“You get three PH.Ds and all of a sudden you think your school is worth changing the education system.” Raven tattered and Hank took his turn to attempt to placate her.

“We will be watching their every move. I mean, Charles is a telepath. And you’re a hero. Humans love you more than any of us. Nixon wanted to give you a me-”

“How is Nixon these days?” Raven countered, a soft smirk appearing on her blue lips, “Well? Yeah, that’s exactly right. These guys will be eyeing us up for an attack from the inside.”

“Hank, get the forms if you’d please. We’ve already discussed some less than public security measures to counter that. Anyway, Raven, the school needs to grow regardless. We need new teachers…since one of us refuses to get a teaching degree of any form.”

“I hate kids.”

“Noted.” Charles commented bluntly, “But we need to expand our staff at the bare minimum. We need a recruitment drive.”

“I look forward to seeing a gym teacher attempt to make a teleporter climb the rope.”

“Yes.” Charles mumbled, scratching his chin as he thought his next words over carefully, “About Kurt. Have…Has a certain discussion happened between the two of you?”

A coffee cup was swiftly thrust onto the desk and Charles braced himself for either a verbal or physical assault. He got neither. He was only met with Raven leaning over the counter, breathing deeply with her eyes closed. He lowered his head and reached out.

“I’m sorry. It’s none-”

“Of your business.” She confirmed, still not looking at him, “We’ll have it when he settles in. Makes friends. Gets a support network.” Charles nodded and rolled back, taking a slow sip on his tea.

“If I may,” He asked lightly, “Did Azazel know?”

“No.” She said simply, “I found out after I’d left. I…” She drifted off and gave a frustrated grunt.

Charles look over her shoulder and noticed the blue woman attempting to yank her coffee cup from the table but for some reason, it wouldn’t budge. Nothing moved, as if it were made from adamantium.

“What on Earth…” He asked as he rolled over.

A chair was in the way but as he went to push it aside, he noticed it too was firmly stuck in place. Raven noticed as well and attempted to pull the wooden, high prompted chair from the marble counter but it wouldn’t budge. Curiously, Charles rolled over to the small table in the centre of the room and gave it a rough shove with his wheelchair. It didn’t move an inch. Nor would the cabinet doors. Or the plates. Or the drying cutlery in the sink. Soon, Hank came running into the room, his face red.

“Your pens are stuck to the desk. Which is also stuck to the floor. And your drawers where you keep the files are-”

Xavier busied himself attempting to pry a cup off the table, succeeding with great effort. The base of the mug was unusually shiny and the three watched as a residue swiftly dried in front of them. Xavier clicked his tongue loudly.

“Do you have something in the lab that can dissolve strong setting adhesives?”

Hank gave it a thought and then silently nodded. He left the room with a look of determination and Charles turned to Raven once again.

“Would you please go assess anything or anyone in the school that’s been stuck?”

Raven put a hand on her hip. “And what will you be doing, Headmaster Supreme?”

“Having a polite conversation with the fastest mutant alive.”

***

Well, I hope you enjoyed that. Next chapter will introduce the teacher interviews as well as some character building stuff before the main thrust of the plot and villain are introduced. Feel free to offer any feedback or ideas. Otherwise, I hope you all have a fantastic day.


	2. Job Applications

The redhead skilfully slid herself through the small group of young children huddled around a boardgame in the recreation room. Behind her, a shorter, nimbler girl stalked. While the frontwoman prowled with the determination of a predator at night, her associate was far less intimidating to look at. Sweat clung to their skin as they completed what seemed like their third lap of the lower mansion. It mattered little to the girl behind. She was born into far more gruesome heats. This summer was little more than an uncomfortable experience at most. Her friend felt otherwise, however. She stopped by the main kitchen to pour them each a glass of water. Her own glass was empty within a second.

“This makes no sense.” Jean panted, wiping her damp lips with her wrist, “I feel him everywhere. I can’t pin him or Kurt down.”

Ororo nodded in thought, her finger tracing the rim of her glass. They had such nice glasses here. Very clear and shiny. The weather witch had quickly given up hope on tracking either of their prey once she remembered what their gifts were and how difficult it was to find them in any circumstance. Peter usually busied himself with…anything, from Ororo’s brief understanding of him. Standing or sitting for too long clearly agitated him greatly and at times, he seemed genuinely incapable of being in the same place for more than five minutes. Even if he wanted to, his body was too wired for speed to give him any tranquillity. It seemed to cause him a level of silent frustration he’d yet to admit to anyone. Since stealing things was now ‘ _out of the question_ ’, he was losing things to concentrate on. Perhaps being in this hero team could ease that and give him a level of focus he so clearly craved.

Kurt was more mysterious, mostly on the part that he never really appeared unless called. In the evening, when the noise had died down, you could hear the faint sound of his teleportation to new locations easily. If his movements at night were anything to go by, he appeared just as restless as Peter. Even during the day, he was hard to pinpoint. The easiest was Sunday as he would be spotted attending Mass or some similar church service. He’d also make an appearance during mealtimes. But otherwise, he would only appear when directly summoned. Until now. He was no answering either of their calls.

“Kurt is a sensible person.” Ororo stated with a confident expression, “He would not do something stupid with Peter or Scott.”

A dry laugh lifted through the kitchen. Jean washed her glass and placed it on the sink, looking over her shoulder to give her friend a wry look.

“You’ve never heard the persuasiveness of Scott when he wants something, then. Kurt was probably thinking he was saving the kids from something. Kurt!” She tried once more but was met with silence yet again.

Ororo slowly finished her water, savouring the taste. It was silent joy of hers to have such easily accessible clean water, even if she was put on kitchen cleaning duty often. The girls exited the room again and Ororo turned to Jean again.

“Is Scott still with the Professor?”

Jean was not an idiot. She too quickly realised the pathetic odds of them catching an antisocial teleporter and the world’s fastest man. Her first move was naturally to locate Scott but his movements were simply bizarre. Jean had sensed that he was briefly with Kurt and Peter in the garage. But within less than a minute, the latter boys became impossible to track. Scott appeared to make his way through the mansion but was immediately pinged by the Professor. While Jean was anxious of attempting to read the superior telepath, she easily sensed the frustration and clear annoyance from Hank and Mystique.

Mystique. The young redhead still felt apprehension about letting the former terrorist and would-be Presidential assassin around so many children. In the back of her mind, she still questioned if the situation would be the same had Mystique not been the foster sister of the Professor. And she was not the only one. Many of the older students who were privy to her less than heroic nature were sceptical of the blue woman. To the point where some refused to call her Raven, including Jean. The blue woman had helped in Cairo and assisted in some finer logistical issues for the mansion and for the Professor, Jean could admit that. But a level of trust for the stranger was something still foreign for the young girl.

She went to speak when she felt a minor ping in the back of her head. A faint murmur of something in the waters of her mind. A delicate call. Turning on her heals, Jean swiftly made her way outside to the grounds. For the briefest of moments, she was reminded of what a beautiful and bright day it was. A thought that was dispersed once she saw a short girl in a modest yellow swimsuit attempting to yank her hand off a reclining chair. A reclining chair that was also not moving. Looking up, Jubilee bared her red and drenched face to the other two girls as they stared at her curiously. Curiosity that was met with distain. 

“I think someone did something.” She panted and Jean quirked a brow.

“Descriptive.”

“Oh, for fuck…I can’t move my hand and I can’t move my chair.”

True enough, Jubilee’s hand was evenly placed on the armrest of the recliner. The teen gave a dramatic yank but nothing budged, not even the chair. It appeared to also be stuck to the ground. Jean bit back a smile as she leant in to inspect the small hand. Carefully, she prodded a finger. A sleek, almost scaly finger. She was coated in something, that much was clear. Placing her hands on her hips, Jean looked at the younger girl with a serious expression.

“What have you been dipping your hand in?”

“Oh, just the usual. Tanning lotion, ice cream and nothing this sticky!” She shouted loudly.

Ororo noticed several boys that were playing Frisbee pausing their game to look over at the commotion. Jubilee offered a polite wave at them before scrunching up her face and staring at the chair again.

“How much are these worth?”

“Jubes…No.” Jean warned.

Within a second, a crackling and hissing sound was made. The smell of a chemical melting snuck up the noises of the gathered women. Finally, the sound of a loud crack echoed around them as the wood around Jubilee’s hand erupted from around it. Small chunks of blackened wood, the white paint all but gone, dropped around their feet. The hand was free. Jubilee smiled to herself as she flexed her hand but it quickly disappeared. She had folded her hand inwards on itself while stretching it and, as a result of the skin contact, stuck her fingers to her palm. A bullish panting sound started to emit from the Asian girl as she pointed a finger from her free hand to its trapped counterpart. Jean immediately grabbed it.

“You’ll hurt yourself.” She chastised but Jubilee continued to sulk.

“This is my favourite hand. Desperate times call for desperate measures.” She pleaded but Ororo shook her head.

“If it is so special, it is not risk losing.” She rationalised while Jean nodded.

Jubilee sighed, her shoulders dropping as she accepted that blowing her hand off perhaps wasn’t the most strategic move she could be making.

“Who did this? Has anyone else been stuck?” She asked and Ororo shrugged, looking around.

From her standpoint, no one seemed to be stuck in place. People outside were still playing or reading by the small lake. No one was screaming or contemplating maiming themselves, at least not due to adhesive issues. Jean reached out with her mind once more in an attempt to sense any confusion or panic. Said confusion and panic were abundant in the mansion, particularly from those around the board game. She then groaned as she felt something. For the first time today, Kurt and Peter had finally remained in a single place long enough for her to detect them. And they were with Scott. They were with Scott _and_ the Professor.

“I have a pretty decent idea what Kurt was smuggling.”

***

Being surrounded by people was both a joy and a terror for the young, blue man. He thrived on performing for others. Hearing the shouts and gasps of shock and merriment as he twisted, spun, hurled and whipped. He lived for the requests of ‘ _more!’, ‘again!’_ and ‘ _come back!’_. But it was always at a distance. The circus had fences between he and the crowds. Guards. Walls. Many things to ensure the crowds stayed away as they were in awe and many things to make sure he was alone as he worked his miracles. The acrobat was no socialiser. That much he had worked out as a child. Growing up in a circus with no one your own age to talk to had caused that. What interactions he did have always ended in either awkward interjections or distain from someone who had worked out his appearance was not make up. And for those reasons, he enjoyed the barriers in the circus arena. That way both he and the crowds could enjoy each other’s company: separated.

With this in mind, sitting in front of the world’s most powerful telepath and a scientific genius was not a pleasant experience for him. Their stony stares did not help de-escalate this fact. The silver-haired man next to him huffed as he clearly struggled to remain seated while the teen adorning red glasses on his other side was merely silent. It was a very unpleasant atmosphere.

“Where did you get it?” Xavier asked Kurt as he looked towards the doorway again.

By the door were several white tubs, all labelled with ‘ _Biohazard’_.

“He found it.” Peter rattled off casually and the Professor slowly turned his head to the older individual.

“Peter, we’ve heard your version of events. Kurt, please continue. Where did you come across this…stuff?”

A string of German slid from his shaking tongue but he paused, quickly realising his nervous mistake. He took a moment to steady himself and thought of whichever verse of the New Testament could bring him the most courage.

“A construkion zite. I vought it vould…be funny.”

He sank in his chair under the scrutinising gaze of the Professor. Doctor McCoy had been as silent as he had been still during the meeting. In fact, if he hadn’t been directly in front of Kurt and been so tall, Kurt would have forgotten he was even there.

“How did you know _exactly_ where this construction site was?”

“I drove past it earlier this week.” Scott admitted, finally speaking.

He’d been the most rigid of the three during the meeting. While Kurt had been silently trembling until now, Scott was simply stoic and attempting his best to be hard to read. A flawed tactic when dealing with someone that could easily read thoughts and motivations. Still, he tried his best not to break in front of the others.

“When I was driving Jean home from the movies.” He added further, almost lamely.

“Something which will not be happening for a while, yet.” Xavier quickly corrected and Scott sighed.

The Professor turned to Peter. The younger man was fidgeting with his fingers. His face was strained and he looked as enthused as a child in an extended Russian opera. He had done well to make it this far without getting up. But even the best of records did not last forever.

“And I take it you were responsible for the _children_ in the rec room being stuck to the table?”

Peter snorted and even Scott felt the corner of his mouth twinge.

“I didn’t hurt them. C’mon. Just a lil glue on the shoes. And hands.” Peter shrugged, “Hey. We brought the anti-stick stuff so we can just throw that stuff at them.” 

“You want to throw industry grade chemicals at the five-year-olds?” Hank suggested, finally speaking.

“I mean…,” Peter paused, “Would it kill them?”

Xavier closed his eyes for several seconds, gathering his patience again. 

“So, the planner,” He pointed at Scott, “The thief,” he turned to Kurt, “And the grunt.” He said, finishing with a glance at Peter.

“Hey!” Said mutant exclaimed in insult.

“Enough. You are in your mid-twenties. I know that you struggle with finding things to focus on but childish pranks are not to be tolerated. You have greater responsibilities now. Ones that, we hope, you will accept and enjoy.” The Professor drifted off and the speedster straightened.

“Meaning, old man?”

“Meaning we have a topic for another conversation later. But in the meantime, you will have no more midnight raids in the pantry for a fortnight.”

“Okay boss.” Peter said with a nod but Xavier adopted a minor smirk.

“Of course. Given Hank here is about to put in locks even you can’t break.”

Peter said nothing. But in his gut, a minor level of excitement formed. Another challenge. If he could break himself into the Pentagon, a minor lock on a pantry door would be nothing. Then the excitement sunk away. That was all he currently had to look forward to until team missions actually started. Breaking into a pantry. That was it. A melancholic feeling formed, one that Xavier noted as well. He quickly chose to shift targets.

“Kurt, no teleporting outside of training. Not even in the house.”

The elf sighed but nodded. Part of him was honestly dreading being kicked out or facing some more…definite punishment, much like he had faced in Germany. All in all, he was okay with the penance afforded to him. 

“Scott, no leaving the mansion for a fortnight. Double it if you try to sneak out.” Xavier was met with a frustrated grunt but nothing else. “Good. Now Scott, if you could remain behind. Kurt, Peter. Please follow Hank. You have some solution that needs applying around the house, I believe. And a _lot_ of apologising to the other students.”

Peter had already vanished, finally free to move from the chair. In the days since his leg had healed from the confrontation with Apocalypse, he was still taking every chance to move he could. Even more so than usual. Kurt stood and politely lowered his head to the Professor before following Hank out. All that was left was a bristling teen trying to control himself and his silent supervisor. One who looked at him for a moment before easing slightly and rolling himself around his desk.

“You have a lot of Alex in you.” He said, catching the teen completely off guard, “He was a nightmare. Unlike you, he pulled stunts that were...truly terrifying,” Xavier allowed a soft chuckle, “Now, most people pull these silly little pranks to fit in or to rebel. You, I feel, didn’t do it because of traditional reasons. No. You did it as a…As a what, exactly?”

Scott turned to his teacher and saw a look of genuine interest. His stomach was still tightly woven but he managed to speak. Speaking to figures of authority was always easier if you just mentally told yourself there’s no reason _not_ to casually talk to another being. They were just a simple person, who happened to be responsible for punishing him. ‘ _Fake it until you make it’_ was the appropriate phrase.

“Jubes...Jubilee kinda challenged me.” He paused, “Nah, she didn’t. She made me feel out of place, I guess? You know, it’s stupid when I say out loud. But her comment made me feel like I couldn’t be the type of person I was in my old school. And it annoyed me.” He explained with a lowered stare.

“And what were you like in your old school?”

Scott took a moment to think.

“Not the greatest.” He said bluntly, “But I still miss it. Don’t get me wrong. I love the school and the glasses and the whole ‘ _saving the world_ ’ thing. Just part of me feels a guilty pleasure in remembering the old days. Simple sh…Simple things. Stealing trophies and driving around and stuff.”

Xavier nodded and leaned back in his wheelchair.

“That’s normal, Scott. I still think about my twenties. Well, what I can remember of them. I _was_ in my twenties in the sixties, I remind you. I was worse than even Alex. But we grow with different life circumstances. I had to sharpen my act when Sebastian Shaw showed me the world mutants lived in. When an old friend warned me of possible futures. And so on. It’s not a bad thing, mind you. You have gone from being in football team at a local high school to having powers to contend with a supremely powered mutant. Of course there’s adjustment. You shouldn’t have to forget who you were. You just need to understand what’s happening in the now and think about what you will be in the future.”

Scott nodded, thinking the words over silently for a moment. The last sentence maybe him feel insecure, if anything. 

“Why was I asked back?” He asked softly.

“To remind you that you need to be a strong example for the others. Hank, Raven and I can only do so much, given how old and…lame we are. Jean, Kurt, even Peter, needs someone who can be strong for them in times of crisis. And pulling these types of pranks and convincing others to join, while fun, might…not…be the best way of getting people to see a mature example in their friend. Which is what _I_ see. And I have a lot of confidence in you.”

“And what happens if I freeze up? With the others? I can barely control my powers. I can barely stop getting angry when shi…When stuff doesn’t go too well. I mean, I appreciate the pep talk. Bu-”

“I’m not asking you to suddenly start lecturing the others and burst into speeches when someone looks sad.” Xavier chuckled, “I’m asking you to be aware of the impact your actions have on others. And to know to use those actions for the others.”

***

Jean knew he was irritated but also confused as he left the Headmaster’s Office. His face was lower than usual and his usual strong, cocky stride was slower. He was in another one of his funks, Jean surmised. Silently, she followed him through the hallway until she playful showed him. He gasped softly and staggered into a wall. His flash of anger mellowed as she laughed softly.

“Hey gorgeous.” He greeted, leaning in to give her a gentle kiss.

“You look like a wounded tiger, Scott. Did he bring out the paddle?” She asked and he laughed.

“No paddle. Though he did threaten the cane. And no more car.” He corrected and she hummed.

“That’s the standard punishment for gluing children to a rug.”

He froze and stared at her. Even with his red shades on, she could tell his eyes were wide.

“He stuck them on a _rug_?”

Jean nodded with a neutral expression and they resumed heading towards what Scott assumed was the library. Jean usually went there after lunch in the hot afternoons as the strongest fans were collected there. For that reason alone, the library was seemingly the hotbed for most social groups who had remained behind for break. Jean, who was still an avid reader, only used the library as much as she did for a cool reprieve from the heatwave.

“To be fair, the plan was only for the mugs and chairs in the teacher’s room.” He shrugged and Jean tossed him a judgemental look.

“As if you didn’t know Peter would take it further. The guy lives for irritating people.”

“He lives for women.” Scott whispered as he leant in behind her, “He asked me if I knew any girls his age.”

Jean’s eyes widen and Scott nodded. They entered the large collection of books spread amongst dozens of rows organised in a circle. Like most days, a fair few students were gathered around the middle of the room where the fans were bursting with as much air as their rickety frames could manage.

“Ask Jubes. She’s been itching for him since she first saw him.” Jean said sardonically as she began dragging her hand along an aisle of books.

“Pretty sure that would be illegal in most states. And he knows that, too.”

“Ask Jubes.” Jean repeated, not taking her eyes off the Professor’s collection of mystery novels, “I’m sure she’d be happy to alter her birth certificate.”

Scott shook his head with a soft exhale. He sat behind his girlfriend and attempted to focus on her. But try as he might, his mind drifted back into his earlier conversation with the Professor. He had known his older brother was a difficult child. His parents told him often about the many detentions, punishments and even incarcerations. But even Alex had straightened out as he grew older, gained more responsibilities. Having to teach Xavier’s earliest students had done that. Vietnam only gave him far more appreciation for discipline and knowing when it was best to serious and when to let your hair down. An uncomfortable twinge in Scott’s stomach made him refocus on Jean. Alex was still a fresh wound, after all.

“Everything okay?” Jean murmured, idly selecting a book.

“Not really.” He confessed, “It was a weird chat. I…I don’t know. I think the Professor wants something out of me that…That isn’t what I am.”

“You’re seventeen, Scott.” Jean scoffed, finally looking at him again, “If you had all your shit together by now, you’d be no fun and probably miserable. You just got your powers, too. Relax, take it step by step and see what comes.”

“Something red, probably.” He said and she hit him with a book, barely hiding the small smile the joke gained, “What have you been doin’?”

“Ororo and I were talking about seeing a movie but since your car privileges have been taken…”

Scott grimaced but remained silent as he thought his next question over carefully.

“How is she?”

“Who? Ororo? She’s good. Still settling in to…Don’t tell me you’re like Peter?”

Jean’s face tightened and Scott could already feel a small sense of an aura, a pressure, _something,_ around his very being. He had grown used to it whenever Jean had her moments of annoyance at him. Which, like most teenage boyfriends, was fairly often. He shrugged and gave her an honest expression.

“I don’t know. She helped kill Apocalypse. She’s been nothing but polite here.”

“But?” Jean asked sternly.

“But she tried to kill us. All of us. And I know she says she’s sorry,” Scott sighed as he looked away from his girlfriend, “She joined Apocalypse. Do any of us even know why? How can anyone join that…freak?”

“I’m sure the Professor knows.” Jean replied evenly, “And he trusts her. And so do I.”

Scott took a moment before looking back up to Jean.

“Then I seriously hope she’s not lyin.”

Even without being telepathic, Jean could see Ororo was no threat. Misguided, yes, and easy to use her insecurities against, possibly. But no threat. Since formally meeting, Ororo had been nothing but genuine and sincere in her apologies and attempts to make amends to the redhead. To everyone, really. Jean could easily tell that the unease generated from her classmates was disheartening to the former horsemen. And she knew exactly what that feeling was like. In the years since her arrival, many a student had treated Jean with unease and even fear due to her volatile powers. It was only since her actions in Cairo that people had eased off and actually started speaking to her. And because of that history, she only felt sympathy towards the other girl and a level of distain for the weary school cohort.

“She’s not. I know it.” 

***

The following days and weeks were mostly uneventful. Peter had succeeded in breaking the lock guarding the pantry door only to discover it led to yet another one. One that shocked upon touch. So Peter simply changed tactics. It was during the day, when such a lock was not placed on the pantry that so many children frequented, that he hoarded his food. He even ‘ _burrowed’_ a small wooden box to place all his snacks in. A box that was quickly found and promptly emptied, with the loot being put back in the pantry. A fact that resulted in the speedster considering what other spaces he could hide things in. Kurt would know. During his many evasions of social contact, Nightcrawler had found countless locations to hide belongings in.

Today’s main source of excitement emanated from the Professor. While Raven and even Hank were cautious about the Government being interested in the school’s purpose, Charles took it in his stride. In fact, Hank could not remember the last time he had seen his friend so eager to demonstrate the potential of their school. Not since the last attempt at a successful television advertisement, anyway. Within the week for the first meeting with the representative of the education board, the callout for new staff had begun. With the wealth of the Professor backing their efforts, newspapers and even radio broadcasts contained advertisements for the teaching positions. Due to the swift nature of needing teachers, it was decided another television advert could not be produced in time. A fact that was heavily protested by a young, yellow adorning student every…single…day. The Teacher’s Union had been contacted as well, though to mixed results. They were initially thrilled to spread word of the postings…until they remembered _who_ the school primarily taught. The TU had agreed to post the positions but promptly asked Xavier and Hank to leave. The former saw it as a victory, nonetheless. For the past several weeks, everything had in his eyes.

On the other hand, Hank was politely cautious of this situation. He had admitted his viewpoint to the Professor but still agreed to back him. Though, he’d be lying if he said this wasn’t the main motivation for updating the tunnelling system as well as other methods of defence. He’d seen this play out too poorly before. The Sentinels were a testimony of that. As were the several scars from fighting one all those years before. Raven had been entirely silent on the matter. Once it became clear Xavier was going ahead with the idea of a co-ed school, she promptly began the silent treatment. In fact, there were many a day when Hank wondered why she even stuck around. Yes, she had agreed to help train the older students in physical combat. But aside from that, she seemed to resent most elements of her surroundings. Even the educational elements seemed to concern her little.

But that was a lingering thought for another time. Now, Hank and Charles were seated in a straightened position while staring at the sheets of paper in front of them. And then back to the twitch, sandy blonde man in front of them. He was a tall, scrawny man, much like Hank. But whereas Hank was lean with muscle, this young man was similar Kurt Wagner more than anymore. His pale grey suit was far too large for him, making him look like a child playing adult. His constant twitching was both irritating and worrying to Hank.

“Well, first off Mr. Ramsey-”

“Call me Douglas.” The man spouted in a Midwestern accent.

“Well, first off Douglas, I’d like to thank you for coming in on such a short notice. Especially given today’s heat.”

“I’m actually okay with the heat.” Douglas said swiftly, his eyes staring into the Professor’s, never once blinking, “It’s Winter I hate. Hate the cold. I once got minor frostbite as a child on a school trip. Parents thought I was faking it until my neighbour, a doctor, came around and told them they had to rush me to a hospital. I have nine toes.” 

Hank looked back at the CV and then to the recommendation the Teacher’s Union gave of this…person. It was nothing but high praise. Ecstatic praise in fact. Surely this was a subtle insult towards the school of mutants.

“If I may,” Hank began, “You’ve put here you’re a language teacher.”

“Yes.”

“But when you’ve listed what languages you speak, understand, write and read, you’ve put ‘ _All’_.”

“Yes.”

The Professor chewed on his tongue, not quite knowing who to make of this situation. Hank was once again irritated at the simplicity of the replies, but this was due to his lack of Xavier’s famous patience. He attempted again, watching as Douglas focussed on the walls. His eyes wide and scanning anything in a swift and disconnected way. He reminded Hank of Peter.

“Can you elaborate?” He asked and Douglas replied while still glancing around the room.

“I understand all languages.” He said simply.

Xavier soon smiled and leaned forward, pointing at the man fondly.

“If I may ask, are you gifted my friend?”

“Yes.” Another simple reply.

Xavier turned and offered Hank a wide smile.

“See? We offer people the chance to work at a school that treats mutant and human children fairly and equally, and mutant teachers come to offer their skills and gifts to help.”

Hank just stared at him blankly before turning back to the skittish man. He stood up, picking up a pen and writing something down. He handed it to Douglas.

“What this say?”

“ _Do you speak German_. You forgot the question mark. It’s grammatically inco-”

Hank ripped the paper away and noticed Charles offering him a book as he tried not to laugh. A book written in Mandarin. He grabbed it and swiftly passed it to the supposed translator.

“ _A Collection of Mid 9 th Century Romantic Poems._ Not a fan of poems. Too short and too up for interpretat- _”_

“Have you ever taught children before?” Xavier asked kindly.

“Yes.”

“Can you please elaborate?”

“I was a Japanese, German, Dutch and French language high school teacher for one year. I got bored. I worked for the U.N. as a translator for three years. I was asked to leave. I-”

“May I ask why?” Hank queried, furrowing his brow.

“People thought I offered too much commentary on the meetings I was meant to be translating. I was told that I struggle to focus. People often made jokes about slipping medication into my coffee but I don’t drink coffee because it makes me anxious, so the jokes weren’t funny. Do you offer medical?”

Xavier looked taken aback by the question but quickly recovered.

“Of course. Teachers gain full medical.”

“Dental?”

“Well-”

“I need this specific type of numbing gas to put me to sleep. Other types make me have panic attacks as I wake up. Massive drama. I discovered that during another school trip to…”

***

The sound of a guitar case dropping on the ground drew Xavier’s attention from the current CV in his hand. Hank smiled as he gestured to the short, young woman with long white hair trailing down her back and sides. She was a rather odd purple, sleeveless dress that was similar to something a traditional Japanese woman would wear. Upon her stubby nose rested spiked sunglasses and, to complete the mishmash appearance she held, large red heels were pulled up to just below her knees. Charles looked back at the CV. Unlike the previous two applicants, this person wasn’t recommended by the TU. In fact, the cover letter omitted any acknowledgement of how she even heard about this offer.

She all but collapsed on the chair with a loud huff and Xavier attempted to resist the urge to frown at this woman, as well as to read what could possibly be going through her mind. Hank soon joined him and he passed his friend a copy of the CV and cover letter.

“So, Miss. Alison Blaire, thank you for coming on such a hot day.” Xavier began but she waved him off.

“I’ve had worse exposure to heat, I can tell you that much.”

The rather unsettling level of ambiguity in that sentence make Hank’s mouth twitch.

“Well, my name is Professor Charles Xavier, and this is Doctor Hank McCoy. I am the Headmaster and he is my vice. Before we begin, we were curious how you came across our postings? We like to know what’s the best form of advertisement, that kind of thing.” He chuckled.

She let out a deep grunt as she forced herself to straighten. If the grunting was anything to go back, movement took great effort. Hank looked her over again. She still hadn’t taken off her glasses. The glasses hiding severely bloodshot and tired eyes.

“Radio, man. _Sir_.” She quickly correctly, coughing into her mouth, “I love community radio and when I heard about this amazing opportunity, couldn’t pass it up. You know?”

“I know, indeed.” Xavier smiled and leaned back, “I remember my first posting like it was yesterday. Terrifying but fun.”

“My firsts are usually just terrifying.”

The group paused again. Hank took his turn.

“You seem to have quite a passion for and history in music.”

“Oh, yeah.” She sighed, “Just…Just love it. And I really feel it can’t just be taught. It has to be experienced. _Felt._ ”

As she was explaining this, a lazy arm flopped down by the guitar case and clumsily undid the latches. Reaching down further, she picked up a heavily scratched and stained guitar.

“If I may…”

The proceeding _seven_ minutes were beyond unpleasant. Both men, too polite to cut her off, were subject to a high pitch melody about ‘ _freedom living in music_ ’ which soon turned into an attempted a rock mixed with folk. Her fingers awkwardly and inconsistently drummed at the cords and at one point Xavier swore she was playing parts of a 5th Dimension song. By the end, Alison had once again slumped down into her chair.

“Now that…That’s what music’s about. You feel it, don’t you?”

“I feel something.” Hank murmured before clearing his throat, “Thank you. That was…overwhelming.”

Charles was silent, his thoughts preoccupied with anything but that song.

“So, you’ve worked in education before. A strong amount of schools. You worked with young children before?”

“Several schools were extensives. All twelve grades.”

“And-”

“Look,” Alison said abruptly, “I just wanted to say I heard on the grapevine about this place. I know what it is. _Who_ it’s for. And it’s just fantastic. Finally, we get a place like this. Don’t know if I’m racially profiling myself right now, but I’m a fellow sister to you both.”

Xavier finally refocussed and tilted his head to the side.

“Well, that’s marvellous. While we don’t _only_ want mutant teachers, it’s always a pleasure to see another one apply. May I ask what your gift is?”

A faint smirk formed on the young woman’s narrow lips.

“I convert sound into light.”

Hank opened his mouth several times but nothing came out. He could feel his mouth and tongue go through the usual motions to form a sentence, and he could even feel the vibration in his throat. It took a moment for him to realise and a second later to put to together what she was doing. Her hair was shining brightly. Without any exaggeration, her head had become a star glistening delicately in the office. Xavier was speechless, either due to amazement or the woman’s powers. Hank couldn’t tell which.

“Incredible.” The professor managed as her hair died down.

“Oh yeah,” She agreed, “Really useful with noisy little kids.” She chuckled as she slumped back.

She stiffened and soon sat up completely.

“That was a joke. I’ve never used my powers on any kids. That lie in Arizona was aimed at me because I’m a mutant. And we all know Arizona’s views on _us._ That kid was losing vision before he entered my class. I can’t…prove it but…”

“Thank you, Miss Blaire, for this interview…”

***

The tall, stiff looking Japanese man carefully adjusted his tie with his right hand as he waited for the two teachers to finish reading his notes. He was one of the more older and proper looking applicants. He had a cropped his dark hair in a simple trim, emphasising his strong jawline and pronounced cheekbones. His dark suit looked rather expensive, as did his recently polished shoes. Even the several rings on his fingers were costly, from what Hank could guess.

“Please forgive me,” The Professor began, “But is it pronounced Shiro Yoshida?” Said individual gave a simple but polite nod, “Terrific. I am Professor Charles Xavier and this is Doctor Hank McCoy.”

“A pleasure.” The mature aged man said in a deep voice.

“As it is here. You have quite the history in business until only a few years ago. What inspired the change in careers?”

“I witnessed my sister die. She was a teacher. I promised my father I would honour her legacy. I donated my spare time helping the school she worked at and found myself interested in the profession. I then studied teaching while balancing my work commitments. Soon afterwards, I made the transition.”

“It says here you’ve only worked in one American school. Do you feel confident in handling the different education styles?” Hank asked and Shiro took a moment to ponder.

“Education seeks to enrich the minds of the young. On that, all school systems are the same. In Japan, we are just slightly more…rigid about how we educate our future population. I found the transition challenging at first but, as you can see in my recommendations, the previous school I worked at viewed my commitment and results exceptional.”

“We can surely see that.” Xavier murmured, reading all five recommendations Shiro had offered them at the beginning of the interview, “Have you taught young children? Between six and thirteen?”

“Yes. I find them the most challenging yet most rewarding. I also find that if you give them strict guidance, they will be keen listeners.”

“Some of our students are six,” Hank chuckled awkwardly, “You can’t really give them strict guidance. They may use their gifts on you.”

“On that we disagree.” Shiro said with a stare of conviction that unsettled Hank.

“The TU certainly think you’re great with kids and right now, that’s exactly the type of teacher we’re looking for. You have experience in teaching young children English based grammar, geography, history? The core subjects for children? Hank usually handles mathematics with all ages.” Xavier quickly added.

“I do, as well as some experience in teaching economics and similar business subjects. That is primarily based off my previous career’s experience.” Shiro explained and the Professor made several notes, “I heard you read minds. Is this true?”

Xavier hesitated and looked up.

“I am gifted, yes, but don’t worry. I don’t invade people’s minds.”

Most of the time. Shiro nodded and took a moment to ponder something. Slowly, he took off his jacket and begun unbuttoning his right sleeve. He slid the fabric around to his upper arm and held in front of the others.

“I, too, do not take my powers lightly. But if I may be so bold, may I ask you to show me your gift?”

Xavier frowned but eased after sensing no malice or trickery from the man. _Good morning, Mister Yoshida._ The man tightened his muscles and his eyes flexed upon at the thought in his own mind that was not created by him. A soft laugh escaped his lips and he clenched the bare arm that was raised.

“It no doubt took you many years to control such a power.”

As he spoke, his lower arm erupted in violent and unnaturally bright red flames. The heat of the room, which was already uncomfortable, became unbearable as the hissing and licking flames danced and threw themselves around on the man’s arm. Within a moment, they swiftly shrunk back into his skin and he began the process of rebuttoning his sleeve.

“Discipline in one’s mental and physical mastery of their powers is required, especially under so much vision from the humans. On that topic, you have my respect Professor Xavier.”

Xavier frowned slightly at the tone he used to describe ‘ _humans’_ but said nothing. Rather, he mentally re-watching the show in his head. He was one of the older applicants and clearly had gotten used to his gifts many years ago, that much was at least clear. And from the looks of it, it was a potentially violent and death power if not handled. Much like someone else’s gift. He stared back at the CV before him and then back up to Shiro.

“Do you have experience in teaching students with difficult gifts? Specifically, how to handle them?”

***

The dark-haired man smiled softly at the duo as they read his paperwork slowly, taking their time to absorb it all. It didn’t matter to the man. He was patient and was happy to take as long as needed. The other businesses he needed to attend to were already being handled, so there was no rush at all. It was Hank that made the first comment post introductions.

“Well, you seem to have a lot of good experience teaching children.”

“Thank you.” He said, offering them an almost sleezy smile.

“I’m just wondering about the amounts of references and work you’ve listed.”

“What do you mean?”

Instead of replying, the Professor simply held up the man’s application. It was _seventeen_ pages long.

“Mister Madrox, it says here you’ve studied ten degrees, have three masters, have worked in seventeen different industries and have a total of thirty-seven career and personal references.” The application was dropped, “Now, you’re very clearly not in your sixties. So, we have a few options. You’re a time traveller, you can be everywhere at once or your application is not exactly accurate. Now, we-”

“The second one.” Madrox replied with soft yawn.

“Excuse me?” Hank asked and Madrox shrugged.

Instead of saying anything, he stood up. Well, part of him did. His body split and tore itself in two and both versions the man looked completely identical. Same brown suit, same oily black hair, same chubby cheeks, same cocky grin. The young man only laughed at their shocked faces. And then stopped once he saw Hank’s eyes suddenly look extremely tired. Even the Professor seemed to lose fascination much quicker than nearly everyone in his life had when they saw his power. Perhaps they had seen far more impressive powers than simple multiplying. The competitive side of the mid-twenties man suddenly grew very irritated. He could be thousands of places at once. Several other versions of him were currently applying to other jobs, learning new languages, _knitting._ Yet here they were, seemingly mute on his display.

“What? You seen someone like me before?”

“Not specifically but we’ve had a lot of a mutant applications.” Hank explained as he attempted a polite smile.

“Which is fantastic and as this is a place for mutant, and hopefully human, learning, we welcome any mutant applicants.” Charles added but he was clearly still out of energy.

Madrox scoffed and shifted until several more versions of himself climbed out his body. Panting slightly from the strenuous process, he bucked his chin at them.

“You seen any other applicant do all their degrees at the same time?”

“How did you pay for all those degrees?” Hank asked softly.

“Excuse me?”

“How did you-”

“What my associate is trying to say is that you are clearly a very studied man. And you’ve worked with both younger and older students, which a benefit.”

“A benefit? I can teach this entire school.” Madrox retorted cockily.

He’d met other mutants before but even they were at least impressed by his experiences. These two just looked tired and only mildly interested in his powers as opposed to his career experiences. Even his last, rather arrogant, comment didn’t draw much comment or dismissal. Was he the last applicant or something? Did they place a sedative in their drink before beginning?

“We don’t doubt that, given your abilities and experience.” Charles admitted, “But we prefer…a more personal type of learning experience for the children.”

“Personal.” Madrox repeated in a deadpan tone, “Meaning?”

“One teacher per subject. At least, until you get used how we teach here and the flow of things. Should you be hired, of course.” Charles explained.

“Have you taught much social studies?” Hank asked, scribbling something down.

“I…Yeah, I have.” He answered, sucking the replications back into his body, “Got about three years’ experience in that. Not a lot, though.”

“Given you’ve just finished college less than five years ago.” Xavier reasoned and Madrox gave an affirmative nod.

Charles and Hank murmured between them for a while before both looking at him. Madrox shook his head to himself and stared at his feet. When he entered the mansion, he entered with the confidence of a man who was getting the job. With the confidence of a man who could easily fill any position due to a nearly unmatchable power. Now he just felt like he’d miscalculated the entire interview.

“Do you have any experience in physical education?”

***

A/N: Hi all, I hope you’re well!

Thank you so much to those read my story or that left kudos and whatnot! It was really nice to see interest, so thank you. Any advice or feedback is always welcomed.

Also, the reason I took liberties with Multiple Man purely because 1. I thought his age would line up with about now and 2. Given the changes to the timeline, I’m sure he’d be like his usual hero-like self as in the comics. I think.

Next chapter will be the last passive chapter as it will introduce the main thrust of the story. It’ll cover the beginning of some _possible_ relationships and add some more character motivations for the overall stop. Also, don’t really know how to type in a German accent, so please forgive me.

I hope you all have a great day and a great week ahead.


	3. Diverging Paths

Blue smoke began to slowly lift into the air and evaporate almost as fast as it had appeared. And just as quickly as it would disappear, more would take its place. The silver, metal dome of a room was almost entirely saturated in the foul-smelling substance and if Scott didn’t know any better, he’d suggest the scent was a defensive tactic. The generator of the mist, a bean of a teenage male, was currently attempting to run on the side of a wall. The acrobat’s attempt soon failed as he realised how little traction he could build against the paint stained wall. His body slid downwards but vanished into yet another orb of smoke before he could reach the ground.

Scott grunted irritably. He’d yet to land a single shot on the elf with his paintball gun. It was decided that until Scott could effectively control the strength of his beams, it would be best not to aim them at any teammates. Instead, the glasses adorned teenager and his girlfriend were holding paintball guns which were aimed at an elf and a weather witch. Between them, in the centre of the metal training room, stood a simple green flag that was no doubt bought in bulk from some sporting store. The purpose of the training exercise was to assess how agile Storm and Nightcrawler could be when under fire, given their flight and teleportation abilities. 

It was a mixed bag of a session. While the flag still remained untouched, too few shots had actually hit either of them. Rather, it was the walls of the Danger Room that had been turned into some abstract art piece by the defending pair.

Kurt, or Nightcrawler as he was called in these exercises, reappeared on the edge of the room, swiftly concealing himself behind one of the several metal blocks that occupied the room. Nightcrawler was too prone to avoid taking risks. He was entirely clean, having taken few risks in gaining the flag. A habit he’d need to break out of or otherwise he’d be pointless in a catastrophe. Every time Scott tried to flush him out, he’d simply appear on the other side of the room, too.

In front of Jean stood another of said metal blocks, one which hid their other opponent. The one that had been less successful than Nightcrawler in dodging paintballs. Her black and yellow armour was now saturated in reds, pinks and blues. It was becoming apparent that the flying abilities Storm had shown in Cairo was not the usual standard of skill she possessed. In fact, much of her newly acquired power simply involved _hovering._ Any attempt at a swift or skilful glide usually just opened her up for more abuse from the defending pair. Thus, her movements were becoming limited.

Scott and Jean, on their part, had also been reluctant to move. They were enjoying their spot on the hill too much, so to speak. When one of them ventured forth and attempted to goad the others into attacking the flag, they tended to be nearly caught out by one of Nightcrawler’s rare attempts at the flag. They soon gave up on flanking and resolved themselves on a simple camping strategy. 

Peter was by the door, watching with a low amount of interest, with Raven at his side by the Danger Room controls. Given the sheer speed of the young man, this type of exercise was pointless. Plus, Hank was not entirely keen for him to resume training with his newly healed leg. Peter was not too keen on observation only. His feet flexed the moment any excitement occurred, clearly yearning for a chance to join. But even he dared not challenge Raven or, by extension, the Professor.

The room suddenly dropped in temperature by several degrees and Scott noticed Jean’s hair whip around her face. Looking over her shoulder, he saw several thick gushes of wind coming together and rotating. A small, barely formed whirlwind suddenly rushed towards the pair but it had too little power put into it. It dissolved before it got anywhere near them. Scott relaxed a little and returned his attention to where he believed Nightcrawler was lurking.

“More energy into it!” Raven shouted, staring at the hidden girl at the edge of the room, “But don’t go too hard. I don’t want a tornado in here.”

The faint sound of a _bampf_ followed the shout. Within a second, Scott turned towards the flag and shot several rounds into newly formed blue smoke. The flag still remained. Nightcrawler was getting closer. And now Scott had no idea where he was. If the German teen was smart, he’d be near Storm so they could plan something. Scott was tempted to ask Jean where he was but she was barred from using her telepathy. Raven didn’t want the session over too soon.

Jean’s eyes never left the block at the far end of the room, even when Nightcrawler had made his attempt. Just as well, given a small, darkly gloved hand rose above a corner and hurled something white at them. Jean felt herself fall to the ground as well as Scott’s breathing in her ear.

The tiny bolt of lightning that was thrown was, in actuality, nowhere near either of them. But it provided Storm with enough time to throw her body up in the air and land behind the metal block closest to the defenders. The pair had little time to pull themselves up, however. Having learnt an effective strategy and how much power to put into a relatively harmless bolt, Storm pressed the advantage. Streaks of white, purple and blue violently charged from her fingertips and eagerly smashed into the walls across from her. Her movements were fast, aggressive and easily overwhelming for the others to handle. She was very clearly not aiming for them but it was still having a desired effect. Screeches and horrid zaps echoed through the building as the lightning hit the walls. The bright lights reflecting off the shiny walls and the loud, thunderous noises made the Danger Room adopted a rock concert quality. A very violent rock concert. 

Scott, already guessing where this was leading, instinctively crawled to the nearest block, his paintball gun never leaving the flag as he did so. Jean attempted to the do the same but was too disorientated by the bombardment of brightness and loud noises to focus on where the flag was. Her main priority was to seek shelter from the onslaught. Scott rolled on his belly, propped himself up on his elbows and took a steady aim at the flag several metres away, waiting for the sound of shifting space. He didn’t need to wait long. However, Nightcrawler didn’t appear where expected. A foul smell entered Scott’s noise and he stiffened as he saw a wedged tail wrap around his weapon and yank it from his hands with surprising strength. A second burst of blue smoke heralded Nightcrawler’s departure soon after. Scott’s head hit the cold floor and he let out a loud sigh.

Jean, looking over at her boyfriend, quickly understood what had happened and aimed her weapon at the flag whilst being sensitive to the sound of the teleporter. The young man never appeared but a cold rush of wind did. One that wasn’t overwhelming but felt like a gentle wave at a beach. The type of gentle wave at a beach that could still roll you on your ass when you stopped paying attention to it. Jean rolled to her side just as she saw Storm awkwardly attempting to float swiftly. She was very clearly struggling and even opted to simply drop down instead of trying to land gracefully. Jean aimed directly at her but saw a flash of blue and suddenly she was staring at her reflection in a wall. Confused, she turned on her heel to see faint traces of blue smoke around her. The same blue smoke near Storm and the now reappearing Nightcrawler several metres away. The two people who were now placing their hands on a flag. 

Scott picked himself up from the ground and nodded to them slowly, trying not to be too sulky.

“Well done, well done.” He tattered with a sigh but a small smile, offering them both his hand.

Ororo sheepishly took it, as if uncertain that it was a trick or not, while Kurt gripped it a little too tightly for Scott’s liking. By the fanged smile and fidgety nature of the teleporter, he seemed to be receiving his victory with a fair amount of excitement.

“Yeah, congrats guys.” Jean agreed, tossing her gun to Scott.

“Congrats?” Raven mimicked, stalking towards them after resetting the Danger Room to its original settings, “We spent thirty minutes avoiding the actual purpose of this test. Storm, you can _fly._ Yet you did it, what, four times this entire exercise? And Kurt, for the love of God, grow a damn pair and actually _try_ to get your hands dirty. If it wasn’t for Ororo shouting at you just then, we’d have been here all year.” The excitement in Kurt’s face dimmed and he gave a sombre nod, “When you are in combat, you need to use all available resources. Your enemy sure as hell will be. And they won’t be chickening out to get a simple _flag._ And they’ll be firing a hell of a lot more than _paintballs_. And Scott and Jean. No tactics at all? None? No planning? Very effective, guys.” She finished sarcastically.

Ororo simply stared at Raven, her idol, her inspiration for many years as a young mutant in a human dominated world. Many a time she’d stared at the blue woman in admiration when they passed each other. But that had recently stopped over the recent weeks. The looks of respect fading into mistrust and even apathy. And there was no stare of admiration this time. No. Her eyes were blank and her expression derived of emotion. An expression that wasn’t received well.

“Do we have a problem with my feedback?” Raven asked briskly.

“I do.” Ororo replied, her voice surprisingly even, “Kurt did win this day. He gathered the weapons and struck at the right time. He removed Jean from the flag. He just needed to gather his courage first. I do not believe you need to be so harsh on the individual who succeeded, especially for one of our first sessions as a team.”

Raven observed the African girl for a moment before stepping within three inches of her body. Ororo didn’t falter.

“You will be going up against people who want to _kill_ you, Storm. People who don’t care if you’ve been struggling or not or if you’ve only just begun training. People who won’t hesitate, even if you do. People like your old buddy-”

Storm’s hand glowed as several dozen small streaks of lightning ran across her hands. To Raven’s surprise, Ororo took a step forward towards her. Their noses were almost touching by now.

“People like Magneto?” Ororo asked with a twitch of her mouth.

Raven’s face paled for a moment before she realised a hand was on her shoulder. As well as Ororo’s. Scott gently pushed them both apart from the other and made a point of sliding between them.

“We’ve had a mixed session with lots to think about.” He looked to Raven, “We can leave it there and pick it up next time.” He suggested, his tone cautious.

Ororo nodded but departed immediately, leaving the Danger Room and heading to the showers. Jean left in her stead, leaving Scott and a very unsettled Kurt with an increasingly stoic Raven.

“Handled like a true diplomat and leader.” She said but Scott couldn’t interpret if it was sarcasm, malice or genuine.

She made her own way out of the room, not acknowledging Peter as she did so. The fast man was surprisingly serious, having looked on at the scene with a level of disapproval. He got up and slowly, for him at least, walked towards Scott and Kurt.

“I’m tellin you,” He whispered, “Ororo is not-”

“Ororo defended Kurt,” Scott said abruptly, “I’m willing to vouch for her.”

“Yeah, but it was decent feedback for Kurt. Like,” He turned to the mutant in question, “You were skittish. Like a lot of skittish. Doesn’t hurt to hear it, I guess.”

“And I agree.” Scott nodded, “Kurt, man, you need to…toughen up a little.” Kurt sighed but nodded, the previous enthusiasm of his victory all but gone, “But Ororo is one of us, Pete. We shouldn’t keep throwing shade at her the moment she does something that’s…odd.”

“She iz not a threat.” Kurt agreed softly. 

Peter shifted on his feet and grimaced a little, realising he wasn’t going to win an argument with a stubborn person like Scott and an overly meek yet neutral person like Kurt.

“I just…My mum used to say that if you invest in someone without realising what their credit rating is first, you’re probably going to lose a lot of money.”

“Peter. Do you think I’m stupid?” Scott asked and Peter frowned, laughing a little.

“What?”

“Like I said. Do you think I’m stupid?”

“I…No?”

“Then trust me, man. Ororo’s not an issue. And if she is, we won’t let her hurt anyone. Deal?”

Peter put his hands in his silver jacket and lolled his head to the side. He didn’t have anything personally against Ororo. He did believe an element of her desire for redemption and atoning for siding with a false god. After all, his own father had been the Horsemen of War. And he had also helped the team against his former master, much like Storm had. But deep down, Peter was still uncertain about the man. His mother had been very open about the would-be President murderer and so had Charles about the issues near Cuba. But Peter also knew of the horrors his father had experienced as a child. The Nazi regime taking everything. Shaw breaking him. His father feeling alone and abandoned. Peter simply didn’t know what to make of his father, much like with Ororo. He knew next to nothing about her experiences and he while internally acknowledged that, the feeling of distrust was just difficult to shift. At least this early in knowing her.

“Deal. So…Who’s cleaning off the paint?”

***

One thing Ororo did not enjoy about the new uniform she was given was how long it took to remove, especially when exposed to sweat. It was a beautiful set of leather and the occasional metal plates for armour, even adorned with a ruby in the centre of her chest. Her favourite jewel. She had been surprised when Hank asked her if she wanted anything symbolic or personal on her new attire, and even more surprised when he had actually put a real ruby in. _Xavier’s pockets must truly be extensive_ , she had thought.

The female showers in the lower levels of the mansion were close to the Danger Room. Just a simple left while the males went right. It was a modestly sized communal set of steel stalls with white sheets offering some privacy. Towards the door sat several steel sinks with some baskets for what Ororo assumed were the dirty clothes. She had yet to work out who cleaned the uniforms and _how._ Towels were stacked directly opposite the stalls, near a small plastic bag where she had previously put her normal clothes before training began.

The chest area was always the worst to remove but she succeeded after a violent heave. She tossed the final article of clothing by the other side of the room and stepped in. She soon felt her shoulders sag and relax as warm water rinsed off the sweat from the sour training session. Mystique had no right to address Kurt as she had. He had won the day. And he was only just becoming sociable. Only just. He looked so happy, too…

The doors opened and the young girl stiffened, attempting to hear who it was. Much to hear relief, a grunt from someone who was clearly Jean entered her ears. She too, it seemed, was struggling with her armour. Ororo soon relaxed and when back to enjoying her shower. Jean was silent during her own reprieve and was a much quicker showerer than Ororo. The both of them turned off the taps at similar times. Perhaps that was Jean’s intent. Peaking her head out, Ororo saw Jean’s curtain had yet to open. She took the opportunity to quickly waddle out and grab a towel when she noticed one of them was hovering and floating towards Jean’s stall.

“That…is useful.” Ororo stated as she walked back to her stall and dried herself.

“You have no idea. Communal showers here are a nightmare.” Jean called out and Ororo chuckled.

“At least you have frequent showers. The house my group and I stayed in did not have running water often.”

“Do you miss your friends?”

“They were not friends.” Ororo admitted, wrapping her towel around herself, “We stayed around each other to survive. Most street children do the same. But I do miss them at times. And you? What of your friends before arriving here?”

Jean took a moment.

“I don’t really remember. I’ve been here since I was nine. I do remember not making a lot of friends.” She admitted as she exited her stall, “People thought I was weird or a freak.”

“Ah,” Ororo nodded with a stiff face, “Much like many here do think of me.”

“Ororo,” Jean sighed, “The kids don’t know any better. It’ll change in time. You just need to give them a-”

“And what of Peter?” She cut in, “And Mystique? Even Scott is unsettled.”

Jean paused with a frown. As much as she wanted to protest, she couldn’t completely deny the latter’s apprehension around Ororo. Even without reading his mind, she could sense a mild unease whenever Ororo walked past or interacted with Scott. Whilst it was nowhere near as intense as some others, it was still there.

“Scott doing the best he can to make you fit in. And Mystique…” Jean trailed off.

Ororo took a moment to chew her lip before looking back her friend.

“I used to idolise her. The woman who had made mutants acceptable. A woman that had saved a world leader and stood against a terrorist. The woman who made a place like this acceptable to humans.” Her face became passive, “I know what she is. What she did to those against her ideals. What she was willing to do for mutant power and not equality. And that she was not against Magneto. No, she used to work alongside him for years. That is why I do not like her talking to others with judgement and harsh words. She is not one to judge others.” Ororo paused and muttered, “She is not who I thought she was.”

“Just like you aren’t what others think of you.” Jean said softly.

Ororo’s face tightened with the unexpected swell of emotion that came from those words. She walked towards her pile of casual clothes, preferring to end the conversation before it led to anymore unwelcome emotions.

“Maybe…” 

***

Hank frowned slightly as he continued reading the new curriculum requirements for teaching in the year to come. While he certainly enjoyed teaching younger groups about the many wonders of science that still made him giddy as if he were a child himself, he would prefer to leave administrative elements such as this to Charles. His joy was building, studying, unravelling new designs and challenging preconceived notions of reality. Not trying to link every lesson to specific syllabus points. At least most of them were the same from the previous years.

His pen never ceased sprawling notes as he attempted to pre-plan an entire year’s worth of science classes for those attending the eighth grade. Well, it never ceased until he heard the staff lounge door open and violently slam shut, followed by a grunt near the coffee stash.

“Tough lesson?” He asked, his pen quickly returning to paper.

“Ororo is a problem. She has a damn chip on her shoulder.” Raven replied hotly, the venomous tone of her words finally drawing Hank’s full attention.

“How so?” He asked as he turned to watch the blue woman attempt to forcibly brew caffeine.

“Has a problem handling feedback she thinks is too mean towards her or the others.”

“And, ah, was it too mean?” Hank asked carefully.

Raven rotated her upper body to offer him a tight stare.

“These aren’t kids. They need to be prepared. You agreed with me on that.”

“I did.” He nodded, “But I also think being too harsh can be counterproductive, especially to people who we’re trying to convince are welcome here.”

Raven scoffed.

“Hank, people out there are terrified of us. Some want to _kill_ us. All of us. Humans and even some of us. They’ve been spoiled too much.” She moved to sit across from Hank, her face almost desperate, “Remember growing up? Needing to hide and be in secret in case a human hunts or kills us? They have no idea what that was like for us.”

“Thanks to you.” Hank offered a somewhat bashful smile and Raven begrudgingly almost shared it.

“Thanks to people like Charles and the others. They need to be prepared for a harsh world. One that might as easily go back to the shit it once was. We can’t let that happen. _They_ need to accept hard decisions need to be made sometimes. Risks need to be taken.”

Hank remained silent for a moment as he placed a pen to the corner of his lip, chewing the tip thoughtfully. She was right, of course. She usually was in Hank’s eyes. Even when she sided with Erik after Cuba, a part of him did understand her fears and decisions. It was the same fears he’d developed when his feet shifted and expanded into a similar shape to that of his hands. A fear of never being accepted and always being hated for something he was born with. Charles was an optimist and that would always be his main flaw. It was one of the reasons Hank secretly enjoyed having Raven back in the fray. The counterpoint levelled out his old friend in a way that was sometimes needed.

As he thought to himself, Raven took the chance to collect her boiling coffee, leaning over the counter as she did so.

“Hank. Stop staring at my ass.”

The genius mutant coughed awkwardly as he turned to look up. His cheeks were crimson as he began sputtering. He had been zoning out on a thought while staring at the desk before him. At least, he _thought_ he had. It was only when he heard a cruel snicker did he relax and his shoulders ease.

“Still…hilarious, I see.” He muttered, faintly remembering her ‘games’ of embarrassing him when they were younger, “But that won’t change the topic.” He added soberly, “I think you’re right. I honestly do. But these _kids_ are just beginning. It’s about…Well, it’s like science. You add to much pressure too fast, they snap. You don’t at all, nothing changes. You need to know the right variable and concentration of the formula to add-”

“Hank. This isn’t a science class.”

Hank didn’t reply, preferring to roll his eyes and revert his attention back to his work. Raven took a moment to stare at him before closing her eyes in annoyance.

“But thank you.” She added and soon took a sip of her coffee.

It was during that sip that the occasionally hairy mutant allowed himself a swift smile before refocussing.

***

“I’m just saying, I could prepare one really quickly,” Jubilee repeated for the seemingly sixth time, “We already have the equipment, so it’d cost no production money and it’d be super quick, sir.”

Xavier was in a battle of two minds. It was always an inspiration to see young pupils so engaged with their work and determined to pursue extracurricular activities. It was, however, also the third time this rather long conversation with Jubilee had occurred. While her enthusiasm was welcome, her stubbornness was rivalling that of his foster sister’s. They strolled through the ground level, Charles looking for Hank whilst Jubilee was content with continuing her pitch.

“Again, I’m sorry but we’ve got all coverage we need and we’ve got a large amount of applicants already.”

“But what about for future students?” She countered, still not letting up.

“We have already enrolled all we can take. At least for now. But perhaps for next year’s call out, we will need more television ads. And if we do, I will call you straight into my office to hear your ideas. As well as for the more audio-visual projects throughout the year that we may need.”

That seemed to placate her, at least for now. A small twinge of a smile formed and slung her hands back into the pockets of her bright yellow shorts.

“Well, I look forward to it.” She quipped as the Professor suddenly stopped.

“Peter.”

The exact moment the name was said, a being formed in the air in front of them. The silver haired man stared at the two of them with a mild level of defeat. He’d been hoping to avoid the Professor ever since their last chat.

“Jubilee, if you could give Peter and I a moment?” The Professor asked and the perky girl smiled before turning on her heel towards Peter.

“See you around?”

“Yeah, sure.” Was the dismissive response.

One that made the girl’s face tighten before walking off. Well, storming off, really. In an attempt not to open a box that might have unwelcoming surprises, the Professor pressed on.

“I see you’ve given our last conversation some thought.” He said, nodding the Peter’s right hand.

There was a scrunched-up pamphlet. One that, when unrolled, revealed the campus of a college. Peter shifted uneasily on the balls of his feet. Eye contact suddenly became difficult, much more so than usual.

“Yeah. I’ll be honest. Not much of my family have done the whole…college…thing.” He paused, “Wanda did. But she was always the odd one out. The rest of us…”

Became a housing agent’s assistant and a worldwide terrorist. Not much to go off when it came to higher education. Or basic education, for that matter. His attention level in school was abysmal due to his unique sense of time and as a result, he spent more time in an office than in any actual classroom. The greatest day he could remember was when his mother told him to simply stop bothering to pretend like he was going to school. Part of him still felt bad about the amount of disappointment in her eyes, though.

“Don’t you want a challenge?” Xavier countered, “Yes, you can run fast. There’s more to life than running and eating, however.”

“Not too sure about teaching, though. Not a kid fan.”

“There are countless more degrees in many more colleges.” The older man chuckled, “Don’t you want to make something of yourself? To actually build something?”

“I do,” Peter frowned and his mouth gaped uneasily for a moment as he looked uncomfortable, “Isn’t that why I’m an X-Man?”

“You’re part of the team to help save lives and improve how mutants are treated. It doesn’t help the quality of your life, however. You need something to do besides the occasional mission. I mean, you spend most of your days here in a makeshift arcade full of second-hand machines you made.”

“The other kids love it.” He said weakly.

“I know they do.” Xavier replied evenly before sighing, “Just…think about it. I assure you that you’ll enjoy the challenge far more than you think. I am talking to the man who broke into the Pentagon, after all.”

Peter chuckled at the memory. It was the second most accelerating thing he’d ever done aside from challenging Apocalypse on his own and the only one that had succeeded well. Aside from those occasions and the odd moment of saving a cat from a burning house or an arcade game from being tossed away, he merely…pottered around during the day. He simply went from one activity to the next, not really having much investment in what he was doing one way or the other. He’d be lying if his lack of focus or actual challenge didn’t impact his moods, especially when he had no one to socialise with. It was part of the reason he stuck around. Saving the world was nice and all. But it also gave him similarly minded friends to actually _talk_ to. 

“I’ll…” He sighed and shrugged, “I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I’m suggesting,” Xavier replied, a graceful smile forming, “Now if you’d please excuse me. I need to have a chat with Doctor McCoy.”

Peter turned around to see Hank by the entryway to the mansion. He nodded and moved to allow the Professor through.

“Till next time, Professor.”

“I already look forward to it.” He called back.

Hank was frozen by the open door, holding a rather strained face. It didn’t take the Professor too long to understand the awkward tension. Standing in the paved walkway was a short woman with ghostly pale hair, severely mismatched clothes, spiked sunglasses, and a bordering on broken guitar. As well as a small, portable stand full of records. Alison’s face lit up as she saw the wheelchair bound man, but she was still clearly sluggish. Her movements were nothing if not lethargic, as if she were some cat that had just risen from their nap. Xavier was slightly tempted to sniff her to see how obvious the traces of certain substances were.

“Hello there, du-Professor.” She waved at him in a rather boisterous way and Charles shyly attempted to do the same.

“Hello, Miss Blaire. How may we help you?” He asked with a kind smile and she gestured to the stand.

“I forgot to offer some free samples of my music. You both seemed to really dig the live session, so I wanted to give you guys the full catalogue. Even if you don’t hire me. Kids should be hearing what their mutant brothers and sisters are putting out there.”

“Well…” Charles began, not quite knowing what to make of the ordeal, “That’s incredibly nice of you.”

He picked up a record and was almost immediately confused. The cover was an art piece of numerous colours smashing together like ocean waves. In the centre, where the waves crashed, was a crying woman who the Professor assumed was Alison. ‘ _Dazzler – Lost Winter Dreams’_. The track list was just as unsettling. _‘A Solstice Passion’,_ ‘ _Midnight Joys’,_ and ‘ _A True Heart is Made, Not Found_ ’ were among the one’s that sparked the most curiosity from the typically jazz loving man. 

“These…tracks are children friendly?” He asked and he received several slow nods.

“Yeah, man. Music for everyone.”

“Right…”

“Well, thank you.” Hank cut in, suddenly feeling breathe in his lungs again, “We’ll take them into the library right now. Would you like…anything else?” He asked awkwardly.

Alison didn’t respond. She just stared at him until he stared to twitch.

“Nah. Just wanted another look at the place.” She finally answered, her face slowly creeping into a smile, “Well, I’ll be off. Have a pleasant day, guys. Hopefully I’ll be hearing from you soon.” She added as she attempted to pack up the stall.

A mechanism somewhere snapped, causing the entire thing to collapse and spray discs on the ground. Alison squealed and, in the liveliest way the pair had seen of her yet, dropped the ground to collect her items. The men exchanged looks and the Professor nodded to her. Hank shook his head.

“Don’t worry, Hank here will help.” Charles called, staring at Hank.

The latter threw a filthy look at his senior before kneeling and collecting many of the records and putting them into a satchel Alison had beside her. She murmured a weak thanks, her cheeks incredibly red and lips almost trembling. Feeling a level of pity, Hank looked at the stall and saw a popped spring which he easily put in place. With little effort, he squeezed the stand into a small pole shape and offered it to the woman.

“Ah…Thanks.” She said, without any of her previous placidness, “I’ll, ah, see you guys around, eh?” She said before turning and hastily speed walking to the entrance gate.

Charles watched her sudden speed and clear embarrassment closely. As well as the complete lack of her lethargy that she had adorned until something threw it off. He could sense her unease and almost a sense of desperation about something. He scratched his chin in thought before Hank brought him back to reality.

“Well…She’s…Different.” Hank observed and they turned back to head into the building.

“And not as a laid back as she would make us believe, it seems.”

“I doubt that much could be an act.” Hank chuckled and Charles shrugged.

“Maybe not. There’s something about her, though.”

“Don’t tell me we’re hiring her?” Hank said as he came to a halt, his face pale.

“I think she’s one of the only four options for a music and art teacher we’ve received that can also teach both younger and older students.”

“Is this Dazzler?”

The pair turned to see Jean across from them. Hank’s mouth gaped slightly and she sighed at him.

“She has a few records sold at some local malls near here. In the local artists sections, if the stores have them. Not exactly Iggy Pop but she’s getting somewhere, I guess.” Jean explained with a shrug, “I think Scott likes her stuff.”

Hank bit back a remark about having as much hearing problems as he did visual issues. He had taught many students in his years and worked with many interesting teachers and scholars. No one, _not a single person,_ had confused him like Alison did. Even Erik made had more moral consistency than Alison did tonal consistency.

“Well, it appears our new friend is even famous.” Charles chuckled and Hank shook his head, turning to leave.

“We’re not hiring her.” He called out and the Professor laughed softly.

“How can I help you, Jean?”

“I think Ororo’s struggling to fit in. There’s been some more issues I think you should know about.”

***

Evening in this country was so cool, even in the summer. The gentle breezes were relaxing and very pleasant to feel, especially after being exposed to the sun. Ororo stared at her clock. Past midnight. Everyone should be asleep by now, even the telepaths. Even if Jean wasn’t, she’d have snuck into Scott’s room by now. She had been careful to avoid her friend when possible and, in times she couldn’t, she attempted to have a very blank mind. She didn’t want to be talked out of her decision. Not now.

She had cleaned her room the best she could and placed the clothes the Professor had so generously given her on the mattress. It’d be selfish to run off with them. She only had on her being a simple pair of jeans and grey shirt she had found in an old shop one day soon after arriving to the United States. It’d be best to travel light and not appear as a common thief, as so many students had whispered around her.

She placed a foot on the windowsill and launched herself forward. Adrenaline pumped into her veins as her body fell. Wind rushed into her body, an odd excitement making her mouth dry. And then she closed her eyes and felt her body concrete downwards. She stopped falling soon after that. In fact, she rose. And rose. Floating high until she opened her eyes. She was by the flat roof of the mansion and allowed herself to drop into the gravel. Her eyes scanned the extensive grounds and the far away gates. Her next target. One that would be very tricky to reach in a single flight. Jean had mentioned sensor alarms by the gates and it was common knowledge of the security cameras near the grounds. She would need to aim high to avoid them all. She didn’t want them to catch up to her.

A thought which would soon become problematic as she turned and stared into the dark eyes of someone. Kurt was motionless as she stared at her, his body resting on his knees and lower legs while his hands were placed flatly together in a show of prayer. Behind him lied several small candles as well as what appeared to be Peter’s stash of blueberries. Scott was right. The antisocial teleporter was developing an intense knowledge of all the hidden parts of the campus.

The pair remained silent for a moment until Kurt turned his head from her whilst closing his eyes. He began murmuring something quietly in German. Unease and confusion emerged within Ororo, not quite knowing what to do this situation. He was clearly busy and not paying much attention to her. But he was also capable of grabbing her so long as he could see her. Even if he was a passive as a puppy, she didn’t trust on him not coming after her. She could always try another evening but that’s only if Kurt didn’t mention her being suspicious and making the others watch her closely. Unless she gave him a reason for being here that was justifiable, she reasoned. She resolved to simply wait and stand there awkwardly, waiting for him to make the first move.

Nightcrawler eventually drew himself to his feet and cleared his throat.

“Guten abend.”

“Yes.” She said simply and then he frowned.

“Zorry. Good evening.” He cleared his throat again.

His tail was swaying behind him swiftly in what Ororo guessed was nervousness. He was always like this whenever he was alone with someone.

“A late-night prayer?”

“Ja.” He nodded, “Easier to focus here. Less…”

“Of the others.” She finished and he nodded again, a bashful smile forming.

“Vhy are vou here?”

Ororo stiffened again but allowed herself to quickly relax as she forced herself to speak.

“I like to stare at the grounds. They are so green, even in the night. Not like my home.”

Nightcrawler took a moment look past her at the extensive grounds. The many trees and shrubs and plants and ponds. The overgrowths slowly making their way through anything they could touch. The gentle waters of the lake silently moving through the night. A more comfortable smile formed.

“Ja. Vey remind me of home. Slightly. Not ve same trees, though.”

“You lived near a forest?”

“ _In_ a forest.” He corrected and her eyebrows raised, “Ve circus vos alvays travelling but usually stayed in the forests and parks on ve edge of towns.”

“You must of liked it. All the lights and sounds and people.”

He shifted uneasily and offered her a meek look.

“Nien, not really. Vey only liked ve vhen vey thought I was a human in…ah…”

He made a motion of covering his face with his hands and Ororo eventually understood his point.

“Make up.”

“Ja.” He laughed softly, “Vi don’t know if vi like English.”

“Me neither.” The African girl agreed, “I find it too inconsistent.”

“And their verb placement makes no sense.”

Ororo offered me a small smile and he stared at her for a moment. He’d been praying during the evenings since he’d arrived here, at the same time consistently. He’d never seen her once here before. And while understanding people was not a strong suit for the young man, he still knew she looked apprehensive. Her cheeks shifted as she tried to look casual but he knew that was a sign of unease. He’d seen it in many of the acrobats he’d worth with before they went on stage.

“If vi may,” He started, putting considerable effort in maintaining eye contact with the girl directly in front of him, “iz everything alvight?”

She left out a deep breath and looked ahead for a moment and then straight back at him. Her face was suddenly harsh and her eyes tight with something akin to anger or hurt. In the unsettled mist that was Kurt’s mind, he still recognised her as beautiful when angry. A sudden thought that made him frown to himself and even step back slightly. Thankfully, Ororo gave him a distraction from his shifting stomach.

“What do you see when you see me?” She asked and Kurt was still for a moment.

“A…voman? Vite hair? Um…Mutant?” He offered and she tilted her head at him.

“I mean…Do I make you scared, Kurt?”

“Nien,” He answered almost instantly in a matter-of-fact way, “Vhy?”

“I tried,” Ororo began with bated breath, “to kill anyone who Apocalypse did not deem worthy of _life._ ”

Kurt stared at her as if expecting her to actually make a point or something. It irritated her further.

“I almost killed Scott and-”

“Vi forgive you.” He said softly.

Ororo’s mouth twitched softly, her brows scrunched up in a look of bewilderment and extreme annoyance. How dare this ignorant child who barely leaves his room make such a claim? He was in Cairo with the rest of them. He saw the destruction. The chaos _she_ helped bring. Yet here he is, staring at her as if she was an overthinking idiot. Ororo took a fierce step forward towards the now quivering boy.

“Why?” She grunted, her face unsettlingly close to his.

He didn’t reply. Instead, he pointed a trembling finger to where he was kneeling before. Turning her head, she saw a Bible resting on a thick blanket placed to guard Kurt’s legs from the gravel beneath. She didn’t know how to respond to such an abstract response.

“Without religion, would you?” She asked quietly, staring directly at him.

“Vi can’t even answer vat.” He admitted but to her surprise, continued, “Vi believe ve all can be forgiven for sins, especially vose caused by a madman.”

Her lip quivered somewhat and she felt her resolve suddenly breaking from such soft words. She tried to reinforce it with anger, anger at his simple mindedness or his inability to understand her situation. But even those attempted failed. She only found herself struggling not to sob.

“It was…It was _me_. I did very bad things for him.” She murmured and he shrugged.

“Ve sin every day.”

“There is a difference between stealing clothing and watching the world crumple while feeling like a goddess!” She shouted and he stepped back immediately.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. This was a pointless conversation. All of them were. She did what she did and now she had to lie in the bed of her mistakes. Her energy for escaping was suddenly void. Now…Now, she just wanted to sleep. Sleep and cry. She turned to walk to the edge of the ceiling.

“Danke vor today.”

She paused but didn’t turn around.

“For what, Kurt?” She sighed.

“Vor coming to my defence. It was…nice of vou.” 

She didn’t reply. Within a second, she stepped over the ledge. Nightcrawler shouted and sent his body hanging over the ledge a moment later, violating the Professor’s punishment of no teleporting. His hand was tightly grabbing her arm and his teeth were bared in strain. A strain that didn’t exist. She slowly looked up at him as he noticed she was rotating her ankles and free hand. She was hovering uneasily in the cool air. His cheeks suddenly became flushed and he eventually let her go, allowing her to turn back to her window and glide back in.

The blue mutant sighed in relief as his hand coursed through his hair. She was safe. That was good. Very good. He took a moment, staring at the grounds as he gathered his thoughts. Thoughts of how close she had been to him. Given that she was an attractive girl near a teen whose main experience with women had been those who had raised him, he was naturally uncomfortable for some reason. Walking back to his blanket, he knelt once more. He began a new prayer whilst pushing out the new sensation in his stomach.

Ororo didn’t bother changing into her bed clothes. Her body simply collapsed on the bed. Covers weren’t even used, preferring the cool night air to any warmth. Her body was tight and clenched as she stared at her wall. Forgiven by an idealistic elf of all people. The concept upset her far more than she understood and gave her an unsettling type of energy. Soon, after an unknown amount of time, her eyes lulled into rest.

***

Jean hesitated for a moment, feeling something was off with someone near her. A hollowness that formed in her gut. It was enough to completely distract her from the person mere inches in front of her.

“Hey, ah, you okay?” Scott panted.

Jean turned to him after a moment. The feeling had left. Either the person had left, resolved their strong emotions or had simply fallen asleep. Leaving Jean to focus back at the task at hand. She smiled shyly as she leant down to kiss Scott again, leaning over his body as they relaxed in his bed. It was a tight fit, given the size of the bed, but they’d been making it work for the last several days.

He kissed back eagerly. He wasn’t exactly the best kisser. He gave too much tongue and thought a sexy method was to simply shove it into Jean’s small mouth. On the plus side, he was willing to listen to feedback and try to do better during their next session. He moaned as he leant in more, feeling Jean’s hands on his bare chest as she explored his improving build. He wasn’t overly masculine but the increase in exercise was certainly helping. Jean smiled at the thought before she felt her head hit his glasses and they both froze. Scott, in a very slow and gentle manner, reached up to move his glasses back in place. His eyes were closed the moment he felt them move. They both sighed and sat up.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about…those.” She whispered, “We need…to find a way to get them stable.”

“Sticky tape?” He suggested and she frowned.

“What a turn on.” She said in a deadpan tone.

“What about my vizor?” He suggested in a hushed voice.

“What a turn on.” She repeated.

He gave a frustrated wince before quickly pulling it in. He tried his best not to snap around Jean, especially when she was caressing his bare chest.

“We could…” He started but he struggled to think.

“You could ask Hank for some new type of steady glasses?”

“You want me to ask Hank for sex glasses?” He scoffed and she immediately hushed him.

“Just…one’s that are…durable. That don’t fall off or roll.”

“Babe, how hard are you planning to-”

He was cut off by a glare. Jean was thankful for the darkness of night. Scott couldn’t see that her cheeks were as red as her hair or the spark of excitement in her eyes. 

“We need to be safe. Okay?”

Scott sighed but nodded. He completely agreed with her. The relatively unsteady nature of his glasses severally limited what he could do to her. And as much as he loved what she did for him, he felt incredibly selfish most of the time. And the absolute last thing he ever wanted was to hurt her, especially during their first time. Well, his at least. Maybe hers. He hadn’t asked. Not that he cared about her previous experiences. He was still shy about those types of subjects. Coming from a stock standard, conservative American family often fostered that.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll, uh. I’ll ask him when I can get him alone.”

Jean smiled and leant in.

“Good boy.” She said with a kiss.

One that was followed by a nip to his collarbone. And then to his chest. And then to his lower stomach.

“I’ll give you some motivation to get them sooner than later.” She whispered as she kissed the tops of his briefs before dragging them down.

“…and because of that, I understood why I needed to let go of my insecurities.” Charles continued, his face uneasy as he told the story, “It was hard. Very hard. But people needed my gifts more than I needed my legs. And people needed my strength more than my personal weaknesses. We all falter in our attempts to lead. We’re human, or…You understand my point. But we also can easily get back up again. It’s important to remember these things.”

Scott nodded, trying his best to take in the story as much as he could. It was honestly reassuring to hear that he wasn’t the only one to go through a crisis of confidence, even before he began any form of leadership. If the Professor of all people could stumble and fail at times and still have achieved all this…It sure meant something.

“I still think he was a dick.” Scott added before he could stop himself.

The Professor snorted and nodded.

“That was a…different version of our friend. One that,” His face dropped and adopted a rather grim shade, “will have to go through a lot of self-discovery and trial before he becomes whole again.”

“Just hope this version of the universe doesn’t involve his ap-”

A sudden knock at the door of the Headmaster’s Office cut Scott off and he was quick to stand and open it. A large smile blossomed on the Professor’s face as a middle-aged brunette with a pale face walked into his office. He rolled towards her and chuckled softly.

“Moira, Moira, Moira. Always a pleasure.” He said loudly and she lowered her head, trying to hide the blood rushing to her cheeks.

“Charles.” She acknowledged, leaning down to lightly offer him a kiss.

Scott shifted uncomfortably and made his way to the doorway where Hank was standing. Judging by his expression, he was also still awkward around see the couple’s token of affection. Due to the nature of their respective jobs and Moira’s family commitments, the pair rarely gained personal time together. However, the operative made an appearance several times since the incident in Cairo and always made a marked improvement in whatever the Professor’s mood was. Hank, while awkward, was genuinely happy for his friend. Aside from the odd socialite at a research function or a complete stranger during his drug aided phase in the seventies, the Professor had been relatively alone during his life.

“I’ll give you som-”

“You…may want to be here, Scott.” She cut in, “The both of you, actually.”

Her voice was uneasy and Charles frowned, quickly gesturing to the chair across from him. It was then Scott noticed she was still in business attire and was tightly gripping a suitcase. One she hesitantly placed on the Professor’s desk.

“What’s happened?” Charles asked sternly.

She opened the briefcase and offered him several printouts of images.

“Someone…has been able…to steal one of Magneto’s helmets from us.”

***

A/N: Hi all!

I hope you’ve had great weeks so far. Thank you so much for reading, especially if you’ve made it this far. And the kudos and comments were very thoughtful of you, so thank you!

This is the last ‘fluffy’ chapter, at least relatively speaking. The main drive of the plot kicks in next chapter, where the new teachers settle in, more training continues and maybe, just maybe, exotic locations are explored. If you have any feedback or advice or whatnot, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.


	4. Radiation Poisoning

The desk was littered with photographs and print out of even more photographs. Several of them depicted a helmet that had gone down in human history. The helmet the terrorist Erik Lehnsherr had worn when attempting to kill the President of the United States on live television just over a decade ago. Charles gave it an uneasy gaze as memories overwhelmed him of that day. The day the literal future had almost been lost and the day he’d almost lost his foster sister to a dark future as well. As positive as the day had ended up for mutant rights and equality, unnerving emotions still attached themselves to that particular event.

Raven looked equally uneasy around the first few images of Magneto speaking to the world via his stolen cameras. Unpleasant memories formed. Ones of feeling hated for her birth, of being trapped with the only way out for her kind being violence. Of intense, heavy fear as she aimed the gun. Of an almost overwhelming feeling of the pressure leaving her body as she walked away that day. She would always stand by her previous intentions, at least a little. But she still felt a ping of regret as well. She always would. As much as she prided herself on being pragmatic and preferring reason over optimism, part of her felt guilt about how cold she had become since Erik first entered her life.

The other images depicted what appeared to be a glass and plastic containment box held in an undescriptive and intentionally vague looking surrounding. The helmet was resting within. Hank briefly pondered the seemingly pointless idea of putting the helmet in a glass case, given it was already metal in the first place. The thought soon left him as his eyes drifted to the images in the centre. The glass and plastic appeared severely melted and warped, with the helmet gone.

“It happened two days ago.” Moira began, “Someone just walked in and walked out in what appears to have been less than three minutes.”

“How many were killed?” Charles asked gravely and Scott stiffened at the question.

“Oddly enough, none.” Moira answered with a tilt of her head, “No casualties but some serious injuries. They look like radiation burns. Some of the guards were exposed to a disturbing amount of the stuff.”

“What type of radiation?” Hank asked and Moira paused.

“We think nuclear. We’re still testing the victims.”

“How many guards were they?” Scott quivered, “I mean, if it only took three minutes…”

“Three teams of twenty in a science compound a bit bigger than this building. The staff weren’t touched. It appears only those that fired at the thief were attacked.”

“What staff? Researchers?” Hank asked and Moira nodded, pointing to the helmet.

“We know the U.S.S.R. made that helmet, at least a version of it, for Shaw in the sixties. They wanted to know what metal it is and why it can block telepaths.”

“To see if they can use others against me?” Charles asked in a low voice and Moira started at him, “No matter. That’s a discussion for later. Tell me. Why aren’t there any recordings? Surely you had cameras?”

“Fried. Every. Last. One. It’s like some massive distortion hit their circuits.”

“Well, if we’re dealing with a mutant that can emit radiation, that’s probably what did it.” Hank explained, “They probably ruined a lot of tech that day.”

“Anyone get a good look on them?” Scott asked and Moira shrugged.

“Maybe but we can’t tell yet. The guards are unconscious and still recovering. Those that weren’t harmed were nowhere near the attack or ran the moment the alarms began, meaning they know nothing. The few conscious men that were spoken to were suffering severe radiation poisoning and barely conscious. They mentioned it was a single person and a mutant but even…Even that’s not certain. Not until they’re stable again.”

“How’d they know where it was?” Raven asked softly, finally speaking, “Or what it was?” She cleared her voice and quickly regained her usual bluntness, “Someone doesn’t just walk into a secret base and randomly picks up a helmet used by Magneto.”

“Not even I knew about the facility.” Moira countered, “Barely anyone outside did and those inside had no communication with the outside world. They were well aware of what Erik is capable of, so communication was kept to a minimum in case he came back for it.”

“So where does that leave us?” Scott asked after a pungent silent.

“In a tough spot.” Xavier admitted, “We’re still fine-tuning Cerebro after the mansion was destroyed. Even with Erik’s help rebuilding it, it still needs time before it’s operational.” He explained, closing his eyes as he scratched his brow.

“And we haven’t even started rebuilding another Blackbird.” Hank added with a dismal expression.

“So we sit here?” Raven asked irritably and the Professor sighed.

“No, Raven. You are going to resume training the team. Preferably get them into shape soon than later. Hank and I will work on Cerebro to get it functioning as soon as possible.”

“Might not even be that useful.” Hank said and Charles turned to him quizzically, “I mean, it’s like Raven said. They knew to take that helmet. That _specific_ helmet. They knew what it was and there’s a good chance they knew what is does. And if that’s the case, they’re probably already wearing it.”

Charles was silent, taking his time to think for a moment. Hank was right, of course. The fact someone had bothered to attack such a specific facility and take such a specific item was certainly not random. Someone knew what they were after. And it wasn’t Erik. At least not directly. The master of magnetism was busy keeping a low profile after Cairo and he knew the values of playing the waiting game.

And the radiation emissions…Despite the cruelty of its use and the chaos it brought, part of the Professor was deeply interested by the nature of the gift. He’d seen two similar examples. The closest he’d seen was that of Sebastian Shaw’s powers. However, they only absorbed energy and released it in explosive waves. Charles had also once had a student in the sixties who could absorb different radiations, much like Shaw, and at times release it. But those releases were unstable and prone to leveling buildings. Charles doubted it was a former student, anyway. An uneasy feeling formed in his gut as he mewled over possibility after possibility. 

“We need to find Erik.” He finally spoke, “It may have been an associate of his, working on his behalf. Did…Do you know of any associates of his that have such powers?” He asked his foster sister.

“No. If Erik did know someone like that, we’d all know by now.” She answered in a null tone.

“Well, then.” Charles sighed, “Again, Raven, I want you to focus on training the others. Hank, get Cerebro functional as soon as possible. I’ll handle the school duties for now. You focus on building. I’ll reach out to some of my contacts. See if they know anyone with these gifts or where Erik is. If,” He turned to Moira, “You could keep us in the loop?”

“Yeah,” Raven cut in, “We’d love to know of any more experiments against telepaths.”

Moira didn’t take the bait, rather she simply nodded and began collecting the images and print outs. Hank left the office almost immediately, intent of beginning his final corrections of the telepathic machine with new gusto. Raven lingered for a moment but decided to leave as well, making her way to the lower levels to shift through Danger Room training settings. Which left Scott which an awkward looking Charles and Moira.

“And me?” He cleared his throat.

“Oh,” The Professor shifted his attention away from the woman next to him, “Simple. Get used to your powers. I fear…you may be using them soon.”

***

The balcony of the mansion offered a suburb view of the Summer greenery. The gentle breeze shifted the leaves and branches softly, making it look as if a wave of green was flowing to and thro below them. The final hours of the sun were upon them, evident in the dimming of the sky. The once blue ocean above them had turned into a beautiful swish of red and yellow. It was quiet. For the first time in a very long time, the school grounds were quiet. Quiet in a good way.

Charles tightened the hand around Moira’s gently as they relaxed into their chairs, simply content to watch the afternoon unfold before them. As she finished a sip of her lemonade, Moira clucked her tongue.

“Wish my school was like this. I had deal with a Scottish high school that never stopped raining.” She scoffed and Charles laughed.

“It’s a beautiful country. I’m actually envious.”

“It’s a wet one.”

“I like to think it strengthened you into becoming the operative you are now.” He said as he winked at her.

She rolled her eyes and took another sip.

“So, mixed schooling?” She asked and he nodded.

“Oh, yes. Humans and mutants this term. We’ve just finished interviews for new staff and all that jazz.” He sighed and Moira nodded, noticing his sudden drop in mood.

“Stressed?”

“Hmm. I’ve always found administration rather annoying. We have to deal with government oversight this time. Make a mutant only school, no one cares. Try mixed schooling and now you have a lot of knocks at the door.”

“Well, I think it’s still progress.” Moira said lightly and he smiled at her, giving her hand a small peck.

“I hope. I just don’t like the timing of this. We’re weeks away from a new semester and now someone’s raiding government agencies.”

“We don’t know if this a bigger plan or not. This could simply be a thief.” Moira said optimistically but they both silently knew she was lying.

“I hope so. We don’t need another Erik in the world.”

“We can only hope the CIA finds something or you do. Or they don’t try anything again.”

“On that, we can agree.” He said softly, staring out at the shifting trees.

***

Scott grunted violently as he felt the pressure in his head try to knock him back again. A flash of red overtook his vision as he aimed his eyes at the large, steel cubes Jean was hurling at him. Adrenaline was pumping loudly in his ears but he enjoyed the distraction. The last several weeks had been quietly festering anxiety in most of the team. The news of someone stealing Magento’s helmet was delivered by Scott and was met with varying reactions. Peter was surprisingly quiet, only asking if Magneto knew or had contacted the Professor. Raven gave him a quiet answer Scott couldn’t quite hear but he let it rest. Kurt, being Kurt, was naturally nervous about ‘ _anover Magneto_ ’ and disappeared for the day. It was only when Ororo drew him out did he relax a little. Said female mutant was silent, much like Peter, but clearly uneasy. She preferable to start checking the news regularly in case of any public appearances by a person wearing the stolen piece of armour. Jean was also uneasy but busied herself worrying about the others and making sure they weren’t too worried about information they didn’t have.

Try as she might, everyone was still nervous. The fact Cerebro was still under construction and the Professor was yet to contact Erik was unnerving them. They were blind and playing the waiting game. Part of Scott hoped it was a simple thief or Magneto enthusiast. But even he knew better. And so, the group had resumed training at an almost daily level. When it wasn’t using powers, it was basic fitness or self-defence.

Gritting his teeth, Scott leaned forward against the push of his powers and aimed his head the best he could. It took several seconds but then he heard it. The sound of steel being hit with the force a speeding train. He turned off his vizor and smiled as he saw a heavily dented cube violently imbedded into the wall of the Danger Room. The first successful hit in weeks.

“Good.” Raven called from behind the console, “Again.”

Jean nodded and raised several cubes this time, making Scott chuckle nervously and shake his head. She smirked playfully and slowly hurled two of them square at his chest. He dug his feet into the metal surface and tightened the muscles of his neck. He chose the target to the left and swirled the mechanism near his eyes. A flash of red was followed by an awkward pounding noise near him but he didn’t pause to think. He immediately turned on his heel to the right and lowered his vizor the moment he made eye contact with the steel box. One that was only several feet away. He heard a loud crunch of a sound but felt a much stronger force overtake his entire body. He was hastily tossed backwards and slid along the floor for a moment. He picked himself up with an exasperated grunt, rolling on his side to inspect the scene. He’d hit the first box but barely. He was too rushed and merely scrapped a corner. Still, it was enough to knock it away. The second cube was all but obliterated. The indent in the floor was a testimony to that.

“Faster.” Raven called, “You need to build speed with accuracy. There’s no point in having one without the other.”

He nodded and took a moment to collect himself before giving Jean the thumbs up. At least his task was not causing mental trauma. Kurt and Peter could not say the same. Given their seemingly complementary powers, Raven thought it’d be a good idea to have them verse each other in a game of tag. A fun, innocent idea. Until Peter realised just how _fast_ Kurt could teleport when he had enough motivation. Even as time slowed to a near perfect still for the man, all he could see of Kurt was shifting powder. And while Kurt was not fast enough to actually _catch_ Peter, he was fast enough to avoid being caught if he continuously teleported into random places as soon as he materialised. A near instantaneous process, Scott had discovered. And so that was how the pair had been for the last thirty minutes or so. Locked in an endless game of Peter running into smoke. But the silver haired man enjoyed it. A lot more than he expected. For the first time in a very long while, he had an actual challenge.

Kurt was less enthused. He was tired. No, he was exhausted to the point of barely functioned. As a child learning his powers, he’d teleported as much as he could in the form of a lonely game. But those games only lasted a few minutes. Not this long. His muscles were trembling as he felt nauseous. Sweat clung to his dark skin and his tail dragged behind him, having lost all power to move it almost ten minutes ago. And his head hurt most of all. A severe, horrific headache was overtaking him as he teleported the moment he could, over and over again without break. He was athletic but he was mortal. A mortal who felt the clutches of his own mortality now more than ever.

Ororo was standing in an even pose on the other side of Jean, awaiting her turn. Much like Scott, Jean was hurling the stack of steel crates at her as well. Instead of using concussive blasts, she was attempting to use a mix of wind, lightening and even hail to knock it aside. Much like Scott, she was struggling to say the least. The boxes were heavy and their weight was not easily knocked aside by a gust of wind or tiny pieces of ice. Even lightning only somewhat halted them. At least she was gaining valuable experience in dodging things. Something which Raven couldn’t criticise. Since their first bout, the two had been distant towards each other. Raven would offer simple, direct feedback and Ororo would simply nod. And that was their new working relationship and it was fine by them.

Two beams of red shot from Scott once more but this time the results were far worse. He only _barely_ hit one box whilst missing the second altogether. He shouted as it slammed into his chest, knocking him down instantly. The box was soon thrown off him and he saw Jean running to his side. Her face was red as well. The constant use of her telekinesis was also taking it’s hold. Scott offered her his hand and Jean pulled him up as he grimaced.

“Bruise. That’s all.” He said before she could ask, “Give me a moment.”

She frowned deeply but didn’t argue. Instead, she quicky spun around and threw the box at Storm, catching her unaware. The girl’s eyes widened and she swiftly held out her palms, attempting to summon enough wind to at least slow it down. A feral burst of air flooded the Danger Room, enough to knock both Peter and Kurt down. Kurt attempted to get up but his body simply refused. Instead, he could only make out a sweaty man in silver and black padding limping next to him. He collapsed next to his teammate, panting loudly as he reached down and pulled the blue clothe from Nghtcrawler’s chest. Quicksilver couldn’t even gloat. Instead, he rolled onto his back and focussed on his breathing.

“You’re…fast.”

“Danke.” He whispered, not having nearly enough energy to explain his gift had nothing to do with speed.

The box hurling towards Storm shot upwards, crashing into the ceiling before flying down to the ground. Jean caught it before it could damage the ground too much. The redhead offered an impressed smile before throwing it at the girl again. There was not enough time for summon any wind. Ororo rolled to the ground and gave a gentle push of force of her own at Jean, making the girl stumble back.

“Hey,” Jean chuckled, “You’re on defence. Not me.”

“I’m happy for a change up.” Scott smirked and he mocked placing a finger to his vizor as he stared at his girlfriend.

“I’m happy for that to happen when we know you won’t blow her head off.” Raven interjected, “Jean, Storm, again. And then Scott, I want a few more rounds with you. Peter, Kurt. You both head to the showers. You look dead.”

The training session slowly wrapped up after two of their members pretty much passed out on the floor. Scott only managed to hit three out of six targets thrown at him but it was still progress. His body was extremely sore, especially his neck and upper body, as he shifted to the side and attempted to blast a cube away from him. He only nipped a corner again. He let the second box hit him as he knew it was too close to hit with a beam. Being hit with a box was better than an optic blast erupting inches away. He was bruised, even bloodied, but still enjoyed the session more than most. The knock back was getting easier to handle and his improved accuracy showed that. He just needed to refine his speed.

His closed his eyes as he swapped his vizor for his red glasses and began the uncomfortable process of unzipping the suit. He loved the design, especially the colours and patterns of the front strip. And it was relieving to have armour once again like he did in Cairo. It was just this damn process of actually getting it off that pissed him off to no end. He was glad Peter and Kurt had already showered and left. Well, Peter apparently needed to drag a dazed Kurt in. At least they couldn’t see the blue and black canvas that was painted on his chest, rib and upper arms. The hot water helped take the edge off but he was still walking gingerly as he moved past the medical bay. One that was occupied by a near delirious Kurt and a tired Hank.

“You’ll be fine.” The latter said quietly, staring at a screen displaying Kurt’s heartrate, “You look incredibly dehydrated. I’m attach a drip and you’ll be fine within a few hours.”

Scott couldn’t translate the slur of German that slid like a drunk snake out of Kurt’s mouth as he rolled on the observation bed.

“He…He okay, Doc?” Scott asked as he stepped in.

Hank nodded silently as he rolled a drip in and began holding a writhing blue arm down.

“Mister Wagner appears to have learnt the extent of his powers. At least the extent for the moment.” Hank added before turning to Kurt, “Get some sleep. I’ll come back in a bit.”

The boy didn’t reply. He simply slumped down and began breathing heavily. Scott watched as the doctor collected a tool kit he had placed on a counter and turn to walk towards him. Dark patches were growing under the Doctor’s eyes and his mouth looked dry and cracked. The usual zest for life and creating things was drained. Only to be replaced by a desire to simply complete his task after all this time.

“Do you need any help with Cerebro?” Scott asked and Hank took a deep breath.

“No. I’m running through the tests now. Just have some minor issues making sure it doesn’t overload. I’m getting…Getting the kinks out now.” He said with a serious of yawns.

“That’s great. We’re missing you in training.”

Hank offered him a tired, wry smile.

“Thanks. I’ll be back once…Once we can find out where Erik is and…I don’t know. If anyone actually wants the helmet for world take overs.”

Even with his red vision, Scott could tell Hank wasn’t entirely convinced there was a threat. There had yet to be any newsworthy disasters or crimes and none of the Professor’s mutant friends around the world had noticed anything strange.

“Do you think that’s likely?” Scott asked as they walked towards Cerebro.

“I don’t know. It might be Erik or a friend. Might be an exotic historian who wants the helmet worn by the man who tried to kill Nixon. Might be an entirely unknown thing. The sooner we get Cerebro working, the sooner we can cross off leads.”

Scott paused, suddenly realising this had been the first time in weeks he’d managed to get the doctor alone. And possibly the only time for many more weeks. He grimaced as he thought he next words over carefully.

“Hey, Doc. I was…wondering if you could…design a new set of glasses?”

Hank paused and a momentary look of concern and mild annoyance formed.

“You don’t look like you’ve damaged the pair yo-”

“No, no. Um, a more…flexible but sturdy pair. One that won’t…move at all from my head.” His cheeks ripened and he thanked God his glasses hid his averted eyes, “Especially during fast sports.”

Hank took a moment and then tiredly shook his head.

“Are we talking swimming or sprinting? Bike riding?”

“Something…closer to boxing or…wrestling.”

And then the underlying message was decoded. Hank groaned and shook his head once more as he adopted a somewhat judgemental look.

“It’s school policy that students aren’t allow to-”

“We defeated Apocalypse.” Scott cut in with raised arms, “Don’t we deserve _some…_ I don’t know…Rewards?”

“You want your reward for saving the world from an ancient lunatic to be permission to sleep with a fellow student?”

Scott took a moment to think before nodding.

“Yeah.”

Hank began to look agitated before cooling down a little. He was seventeen once, too. Although, women were far away from him in any school setting. Or even a college setting, for that matter.

“I can…I can maybe get some sleeker glasses made. Ones that have tighter grips on the head.” He said reluctantly.

Scott slapped him on the shoulder with a bright smile.

“I…We both…I-”

“Please never mention this to the Professor.” Hank grunted, “And…I take it you both know how to use protection?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Scott…”

“We’re fine. I promise.”

“Hmm.”

Scott cleared his throat as he stepped away from the exhausted and sceptical man.

“I’ll, ah, let you get back to work.”

“Thanks. Oh, and good work in training. Raven’s said you’ve really improved.” Hank called out before the doors shut.

Scott stopped for a moment before heading into the elevator. A flush of pride hit him. Raven was not easily impressed. A woman of her experience had no doubt seen mutants his age with far better control over their powers. And yet she still complimented him, even if it were behind his back. A smile formed. One that continued as he stepped out into the ground floor where posters, flags and signs were coating almost every wall. Excited students were racing around the school shouting while the some of the shyer students were nowhere to be seen. Scott checked his watch. He still had another two hours or so before the first massive set of tours began. Enough time to get breakfast.

He waddled on sore legs until he reached his destination. The long eating table was mostly empty bar a few occupants. Jubilee was in the middle of an animated discussion with the Professor who was doing his best to keep up with the girl. Several younger students were having a late breakfast, murmuring quietly to themselves about the school tours. Not everyone was keen about the idea of having humans here. Especially those that had less than pleasant experiences with them. He drifted into the kitchen next door and quickly prepared himself some eggs and toast before walking to join Jubilee and the Professor. An audible groan escaped him as he sat down and the Professor eyed his bruised arms.

“I trust Raven isn’t pushing you all too hard?” He asked with a level of worry.

“Not the worst gym teacher I’ve had.” Peter replied and the Professor chuckled, “I’ll change into a sleeved shirt before the tours start.”

“Um, look at this.” Jubilee motioned to her friend, “I’ll have you know I wouldn’t be this bruised.”

“Wanna bet?” Scott asked drily before tasking a bit of his toast.

“If he can join, why can’t I? It’s because I wasn’t in Cairo, isn’t it?” Jubilee scoffed, “Well excuse me for being the only one around to _guard_ the children when you were all kidnapped.”

Xavier offered her a warm but tight smile.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Yeah. You think.” She reinforced, “I mean, I make fireworks out of electricity. I can absorb and generate electrical energy that can blind people. _Blind_ people _._ How would that not be useful in the field?”

Xavier opened his mouth to reply when he saw an excited child sprinting towards him. The Professor smiled as he listening to what the small girl was saying before thanking her. She scurried off almost instantly.

“We can have this conversation later. Some of our new friends are here.” He explained as he began rolling towards the exit, “Jubilee, if you could find Storm and prepare for your tour group. Scott, if you could do the same with Kurt.”

“Yeah, been meaning to mention that.” Scott quickly said as he wiped his mouth, “He’s passed out in the med bay. Teleported too much or something.”

Xavier paused but soon continued strolling.

“You can wait for Hank or Raven to join you. Mingle with the tour group until one of them arrives, if you must.” He called and Scott’s shoulder’s slumped.

“So,” Jubilee started and she shifted to her feet, “Joining the X-Men…”

***

The size and beauty of the campus always took a moment to adjust to. Many of the schools Shiro had worked in or visited throughout his life had paled compared to this establishment. Schools in Japanese metropolitan areas tended to be rather utilitarian whilst countryside schools often lacked this many trees. It truly was a beautiful place of learning. Gripping his dark suitcase tightly, the man made his way to the large, oak doors. His pace was even but stiff looking, still carrying the posture from his days in the business sector. As he came closer, he could make out a banner hung high on the front of the school. _‘Welcome Parents and Students’_. The letters were painted on and clearly made by some younger children. Younger children who had questionable artistic merit, given the colourful chaos committed to the white sheet.

“Y’know, I really think it brings the scene together.”

Shiro turned to the side to see a young man with dark hair strolling towards him. He had a dark suit on, but not nearly as dark or fancy looking as Shiro’s, and a satchel lazily slung over his shoulders. His hands were placed in his jacket pockets as he arrogantly regarded the man in front of him.

“You a new teacher, too?”

“I am.” Was the simple answer.

“Yeah? I’m Jamie. You?”

“Shiro Yoshida.”

The two men appraised each other silently for a moment. Jamie took his time in attempting to work out any sense of threat or dismissal from the middle-aged man. He took an instant disliking to how expensive his suit looked. How much _better_ it looked compared to his own. And the fancy watch he was casually parading in front of the younger man. Oh, how quickly it made the man seethe. Shiro, on his part, was not overly phased by the clearly antsy man. He looked professional enough, at least in terms of attire. But his shark-like smile, he laid back stance and his initial sarcasm was not met well by Shiro. They reminded him too much of sleezy men who would go out of their way to offer advice to the elderly on investments or to offer money to those losing significantly at a casino. He would need to keep an eye on this one.

“So,” Jamie was the first to break the silence, “What do you teach?”

“Fourth, fifth and sixth grades. I believe I am on a rotating roster, given how small the school is. As well as economics and, if there is interest, some Japanese cultural classes.”

Jamie’s jaw tightened.

“Well, would you look at that. I’m teaching first, second and third grades. I think I’m also on a rotating roster with a few other teachers. As well as physical education and, if there’s interest, some cultural study classes.”

“Quite the workload.” Shiro said evenly and Jamie chuckled.

“Yeah. I can do much more, though. Comes with my powers,” He grunted as he slapped his chest.

The moment the kinetic force entered his body, parts of skin and muscle violently ripped from him until a perfect replica of the man was formed. Shiro observed the panting men for a moment before bucking a brow.

“Impressive.” Was the only reply.

“Yeah?” Jamie said curtly, allowing his body to reabsorb his clone, “You not gonna show me yours?”

“I do not minimise my abilities by simply showing them off when requested.”

The corner of Jamie’s mouth twitched and he chuckled again. The subtext of the comment was clear. Shiro didn’t view him as worthy enough to even show off to. It was the exact same situation with his new bosses. A complete disregard for his unique power. How many mutants could do what he could? _None_. He could easily fill this school twice over with himself. Yet the arrogant man before him could only manage a raised brow. Perhaps, in his rich, family suites, they had more impressive mutants. Perhaps Shiro had seen far more powerful abilities in his comfortable, probably well-travelled life. Something Jamie knew very little about. But he knew enough about those turning their noses at him for not being impressive enough. He’d seen _that_ more than enough. 

“Yeah?” Jamie sneered, “Well, why don’t you te-”

The doors to the mansion opened and a tall teen with bright red sunglasses walked out. He gingerly stepped towards them, as if in pain, as he offered them a polite smile.

“Hey,” The glasses adorning teen began, “I’m Scott Summers. You must be some of the teachers. I’m a senior here and the Professor asked me to show you around and show where your classes will be. We’re also having some parents and students come see the school as well but that’ll be in a few hours, if you want to leave by then.” Scott explained with a series of casual nods.

Jamie offered an almost sleezy grin as he regarded the boy.

“A pleasure to meet you. I’m Jamie Madrox. I’d shake your hand but, ah, my gift plays up with physical force.” He chuckled, “I’ll be teaching the younger years. Hopefully some stuff with you older guys as well.” He gazed out the corner of his eye, “Oh, and this is-”

“Shiro Yoshida.” Said man offered Scott a strong handshake, “Thank you for offering a tour. It is simply a beautiful campus. Have you been here long?”

He already knew the answer. The interview with Xavier had gone into much detail about some of the students that needed a more _delicate_ approach to handling their powers. Scott’s lack of control of his optical blasts quickly became a main focus point of the conversation. However, it was always polite to take an interest in other people. Shiro believed so, anyway.

“Yeah. About…three months. I guess I’m sorta new he-Holy shit. Is that Dazzler?” Scott abruptly gasped. 

The other two males turned to see someone grunting loudly as she attempted to drag several large suitcases along the pavement. Her skin was flushed and even from several few metres away, everyone could see the sweat glistening on her skin. She was wearing a short, sleeveless white dress with sandals and her seemingly permanent spiked sunglasses. Maybe she was like Scott and needed glasses to function, the young teen pondered. He ran towards her and quickly grabbed her luggage, pulling them towards the entrance.

The woman swiftly recovered and adopted a lulled smile as she lazily strode towards the men. She offered a sly smile to Yoshida. One that was met with a blank stare. A blank stare that made the woman immediately look away.

“I heard my name.” She panted softly, placing her hands on her narrow hips, “And here I am. Alison Blaire but you may know me but my musical moniker: _Dazzler._ ”

“You are a musician?” Shiro asked with what appeared to be actual interested.

If her cheeks weren’t already red for the earlier exhaustive effort, she’d be blushing.

“Yeah, dude. I’m kinda a local icon around here.”

“I’ve never he-”

“I have all your stuff.” Scott said, cutting off Jamie’s observation, “I, ah, didn’t know…I mean, you’re a teacher?” He asked, an excited grin plastered on his face.

“Yeah, man.” She nodded and she pointed a well-manicured finger at the boy, “You a student?”

“Yeah.” Scott confirmed, “I’m Scott. The Professor asked me to show you around.”

She smiled before turning to point at the banner above them.

“What a lovely piece of art. We expecting some parents here, too?”

Scott offered the group a brief summary of the day’s schedule. A tour of the campus and grounds, including where their classrooms would be. Hank would later be showing them the basic safety routes in case of emergencies. Xavier would then begin discussing the content of their respective classes for the next year with them, making sure they felt comfortable and settled in before classes began in the upcoming weeks.

As they entered the mansion, Alison whistled. The sheer beauty of this place overtook her the first time she had entered and it clearly still had that effect on her. She’d taught in some posh places before. They were usually run by prudish nuns or something similar. But this was something else…

“Where will I be staying?” Alison asked as she took the place in.

“Hank will be showing you to your room later.” Xavier answered as he rolled towards the group, a bright grin on his face, “Since you’re the only teacher who wanted living arrangements as well, we thought it’d be easier to do it at the end of the day. Or would you rather we show you now?”

She lolled her head back and shook it.

“All good, sir. Let the tours begin.”

Shiro took a moment to shake the Professor’s hand and Jamie gave him an annoyed stare. He’d also shake hands, if it didn’t generate multiple unwanted copies of himself in the process. While he could handle some minor elements of force, such as gripping a pen, actual body contact was impossible.

“It’s good to see you all again. I see you’ve met some of our brightest pupils.” He nodded to Scott, “This lad will be helping show you around before the official tours begin. Now that all the teachers are here, you can begin the tour, Scott.”

Scott frowned for a moment.

“You said five, Professor.”

“You had said five.”

Scott turned to see a wiry, fidgeting man walking with Ororo and Jubilee. His eyes hastily inspected seemingly every element of every person before he returned his limited focus to the waterfall painting beside them.

“Ah,” The Professor began, “This is Douglas Ramsey. He will be a language and grammar teacher.”

The individual in question gave a sporadic grin before looking away again. Alison offered him a large wave but gained no reaction. Jamie smirked.

“How many languages do you speak? I’m curious.”

“All.”

“Um.” Jamie began but Xavier cut him off.

“Mr Ramsey has the gift to read, speak and understand all languages. Even dead ones.”

“Fascinating.” Shiro murmured, “ _Do you understand me?”_

“ _I do.”_

Jamie scoffed.

“Not really fair.” He muttered under his breath.

“Now you know how I feel.”

The group shifted their heads to the side to see a plain looking, middle-aged, slightly chubby man in a simple green shirt with grey slacks smiling at them. His hands were clasped behind his back as he returned their stares. After a moment, he awkwardly pushed a strand of his short brown hair behind his ear.

“Who are you?” Scott asked as he attempted to work out where the man came from.

“Oh, I’m Gary. Gary Bueller. I’m on rotation with some of the little guys. Nice to meet you all.” He said with an awkward smile.

“Likewise.” Scott replied, still feeling a little uncomfortable.

“We were just discussing powers,” Jamie began, “Wanna show yours?”

A faint flush crept on the man and Xavier attempted to answer for him. But Gary got through first.

“None. I’m a human. Just…plain old Gary”

The group was silent for a moment.

“Mr Bueller has an exceptional record teaching young students, especially those with disabilities. We thought he would be an excellent asset to the team.” Xavier explained and Gary began scratching the back of his head.

“Huh.” Jamie replied, “Well…Welcome to teaching gang.”

***

The tours went off without a hitch. Scott arguably had the easiest job out of the tour leaders. Shiro and Douglas were silent most of the time, preferring to study their surroundings and listen to the scripted history of the school Scott was reading. Kurt had originally offered to read the facts but given he was unconscious, the duty was left to Scott. Jamie and Alison quickly developed what appeared to be a silent competition for who could contribute the most to what the boy was saying. What were originally decent questions and comments, these interruptions devolved into mere observations about incredibly pointless and obscure things. Gary was just happy to be included.

Ororo, Jubilee, Peter and Jean arguably had the more difficult job. The two tour groups had to show five families around per session, sometimes more. And while Hank and Xavier were also doing the same and individually, they had far more experience talking to parents and children. Most children were either extremely unimpressed and unhappy to be shown to their new school or were so excited they simply would not be quiet. Even the parents were difficult to handle. Questions about mutant and human safety came around every third minute and some were far ruder than others. An exhausted Peter, in particular, seemed to struggle with the bickering parents, especially when they kept asking about his unusual hair. Ororo’s hair was also up for comment, it seemed. Many of the older, more conservative parents were simply horrified that a student was allowed to attend such a campus with an unsightly haircut such as hers. Needless to say, Jubilee spent much of her time quietly calming the girl.

“…tary requirements, please let us know. We’d rather not poison any new students.” Xavier said and the group gave a small chuckle.

His group was relatively tame compared to the others. This was no doubt due to the fact many of the parents were too nervous to be cynical or rude to the world renown professor and headmaster. One woman, the mother of young boy with bronze-coloured skin, raised a hand.

“You’ve mentioned a bus for students not on campus. Are these your own or hired through a company?”

“Well…”

The Professor’s response was cut off by a rushing yet excited Hank. For the first time in days, the man’s eyes had actual life in them. He shyly apologised to the group as he pushed through them and moved to lean into the other man’s ear.

“She’s operational. Just finished the final series of checks after my tour. She’s back, Charles.” He whispered, barely able to contain his excitement.

An excitement that was shared immediately. Cerebro was finally back. For the first time since the mansion was destroyed, they could see again. Charles had to reign in his excitement. Testing his precious machine would need to wait. He had many tours to complete until he was available. 

Everyone had many tours to complete before they could relax. Jubilee stared at her watch and sighed as she noticed it was barely past midday. She couldn’t even have lunch yet and that fact made her want to weep. She loved lunch. She turned back to her disbanding group and waved them off one last time. They were simply dreadful to be around. One man was far too interested in the short-shorts she was wearing and a silent, pudgy teen asked enough questions about dating fellow students to make her nervous. It didn’t help that she was with someone unaccustomed to how to delicately handle those types of issues. Ororo was…stiff during the tour, Jubilee had noted. She rarely spoke unless prompted or when reading part of the script the Professor gave them. Even when answering questions, she never really engaged with anyone. Which left Jubilee to do all the heavy lifting. And while she loved socialising, even she had her limits. And it wasn’t even lunch time yet.

Part of her was still jealous Jean was paired with Peter. Perhaps then she’d be able to get some alone time with him and actually start up a conversation. She was somewhat confused why she was still hung up on the man but something about his personality, his hair, even that butt, just made her obsessed. And he seemed surprising genuine about living how he wanted compared to other guys she was used to. Jean teased her relentlessly about the age difference but she didn’t care that much. At least Peter was a decent person, unlike most people who tried to hit on her. And it was _barely_ eight years between them. And she was nearly an adult, she kept telling herself. One that needed to start focussing on college and jobs and not boys. At least the latter option didn’t fill her with considerable anxiety and a feeling of not being good enough. Jubilee wasn’t dumb but she wasn’t exactly Jean Grey level either. And even if she was, she didn’t know what to do. And she was almost at the point when applications needed to be done. All in all, as confident as she was, she still felt sick when thinking about adulthood. The teen rubbed her damp forehead and she turned to Ororo, hoping to get back into the shade until the next session began.

Ororo was stiff, her eyes wide and trembling. Her stomach was tense and jaw tight as she tried to comprehend what was going through her mind. Anger. Hate. _Fear._ Incredible fear. But it wasn’t her fear. No. Something was happening somewhere. Something was wrong, _very wrong._ Panic had replaced the blood in her veins as she sprinted into the building. Jubilee merely sighed before forcing her legs to follow the girl.

Ororo skidded to a halt as she saw the Professor and Doctor McCoy idly chatting to a boy and his parents. McCoy noticed her first and immediately rushed over to her. The Professor, seeing the commotion, politely excused himself and made his way over to her as well. She was almost hyperventilating by the time she spoke.

“Erik.” She gasped with laboured breath, “Something is happening to Erik. Someone is trying to hurt him.”

***

A faint hum was shifting through the humid air. The valley was silent during this time of the day as most of the wind had died down earlier. This meant the sounds of the pleasant humming could be enjoyed in peace without needing to force further volume. A tall, well built man continued his tune as he played with the broken radio in front of him. The back compartment was laid bare, allowing the man to attempt to make repairs to the old thing. The valley was isolated except for the abandoned farmer’s house. All that was left was some unkept crops and a large amount of drying and withered trees around him. Some music would be welcomed company.

He took a few more minutes, chewing on his tongue as he concentrated, before the sound of a local news broadcast softly appeared. A faint smile creeped upon the man’s face and he made some adjustments until some local Columbian music could be heard. He placed the radio beside him as he sighed, reclining into the old, rotten wooden chair below him. The signal immediately went haywire as static violently spewed from the device. The man frowned as he stood up. He knew that should have fixed the issue. Turning towards the house to gain more tools, he froze as he saw something in the corner of his eye.

Standing at the top of the hill, to which the house was built next to, was a tall man staring down at him. His face was concealed in a well woven hood and clothe wrapping. The figure below wiped his greasy fingers on his grey overalls slowly, taking his own time to observe the man. Extending his powers, he tried to sense any weapons on the man above. No guns. No knives. No _metal._ Nothing. No watch, no belt, nothing at all. And no one went without a single piece of metal on their bodies. Not without _purposefully_ removing it all. The lower man suddenly felt very uneasy.

“Can I help you?”

The man above said nothing. He merely stared.

“Are you here for a reason?”

Of course there was. They were isolated by a matter of hours from the nearest major settlement or town. It was highly unlikely the other man simply wandered so high into a valley slope by accident. The lower man took a moment to assess every piece of metal around them.

“If you wish to cause me harm, I’m afraid that won’t be easily given.”

“Debatable.”

The man’s voice was deep and almost apathetic to the other man’s earlier threat. He began walking down the hill at a slow yet determined pace. With a sense of few other options, the lower man grunted as he twisted his wrist forwards. A rusting iron panel rose from the ground and hurled itself at the higher man. The man who simply punched forwards as it came close. As his fist neared the centre of the panel, the metal began to glow red and then yellow. Within a moment, the centre of the panel melted away entirely as the fist flung through it. The outer edge of the panel melted away the second later. The lower man stared in concern before placing his arms by his side. He rose from the ground, feeling the magnetic waves push him upwards. Everything metal he could feel around him was thrown forwards at the walking man. Iron panels, lights, tools, even an old watch on the ground, was violently thrust upon the other man.

The higher man did not halt. His eyes never left his foe. A faint yellow cloud or mist formed a metre in front of him and to his sides. The moment anything came in contact with the violently hissing, popping and vibrating aura, it turned to glowing red slag on the ground. Not a single item touched him. Gritting his teeth, the master of magnetism reached towards the small barn beside him and pulled his hand up. With a loud crash, an old, non-functioning tractor broke free from the wooden ceiling and was tossed forwards. The other man finally stopped and watched the large vehicle about to drop on him. He clapped his hands together once. A violent, beautiful flash of yellowish green light escaped from his hands and broke the tractor apart with many of the pieces boiling and hissing in puddles on the ground. 

The lower man, now on the same height as his attacker, was silent as he tried to assess the situation as quickly as he could. He quickly knew the odds of him surviving such a power. He needed a distraction. He closed his eyes as he mentally reached into the ground, feeling the faint traces of raw metal ores deep in the earth. Millions of small clusters of metal below. With a strained shout, he felt the ground shake as thousands of tiny dots poured from the ground. Tendrils and other large collections of metal formed as they circled their prey. The man simply before turning back to the man ahead. He scoffed before extending his hand forward. The other man acted instantly, refusing to give him a chance to attacked. Five large groups of metal formed arched blades which then slammed downwards in an attempt to dice the man up. A wall of brilliant yellow appeared and the metal constructs dissolved into fiery masses instantly. A moment later the higher man clenched his raised hand and a vibrant pulse slung from his shoulders, through his clenched fingers and into the hovering man. It struck his chest and sent him rolling on the ground with a scream.

Talking his time to walk towards his victim, the higher man kicked a broken radio out of his way as he stood next to the injured man. A flash of grey whipped upwards but the higher man merely smiled to himself as the would-be knife dissolved in front of him. The man below him simply panted as his last attack failed. His chest was severely burned, red and already beginning to blister with sickeningly yellow bulbs. He gasped as he was grabbed by the throat and yanked to his feet.

“Erik Lehnserr,” The man said slowly, his tone filled with a sense of judicial justice, “On behalf of Cairo, Sydney, London, Paris, Rabat, Athens, Auckland, Lagos, and every other city you almost slaughtered, I sentence you to-”

A desperate gargle escaped him, followed by a pained gasp. Erik grunted as he drove the sharpened strip of metal deeper into the other man’s chest. It was a well-placed strike. He thrust directly upwards and right below the ribcage, aiming for a lung or another vital organ. He’d have aimed for the throat or heart but the other man’s eyes would’ve noticed too soon.

Erik was dropped to the ground and he watched the man’s brown shirt become thick and damp below his chest. The wound was clutched tightly as the man started at him with seething hatred. They both took a moment to simply try to breath with their severe injuries.

“You…You won’t…” The man nodded to Erik’s burns, “Mutants…can’t…Even mutants can’t survive that amount…of radiation.” He finally got out.

“And you…Your lungs will fill with blood within the next few minutes.” Erik chuckled, rolling over to sit up, “You’ll be dead before me.”

The other man took a moment to think. He went completely motionless before shaking his head slightly.

“No. I…don’t think so.” He said cryptically, “I have…more work to do.”

He turned and began to stagger away from Erik. After a moment, he almost collapsed before pulling himself up. Erik’s vision began to dim as he struggled to keep himself propped up. Even with his vision turning to black, he could vaguely make out a glowing from the retreat man. Erik didn’t know what came first. The darkness or his head hitting the ground. Either way, he was unconscious within moments. 

***

A/N: Hi all! I hope you’ve had fantastic weeks and having a decent time.

Thank you so much to those that have made it this far. Over 100 hits, which is honestly a lot more than I originally thought I’d get. So thank you so much. Next chapter will introduce Psylocke into the fray as well as Erik and will delve into who this assailant could possibly be. Also some more character focussed stuff for Peter, Jubilee and Raven as well as Ororo and Kurt.

Feel free to leave a kudos or comment, it’s always very nice to hear feedback. Otherwise, I hope you all have a lovely weekend!


	5. Unusual Acquaintances

Raven and Ororo were silent as they waited in the shining silver hallway. Raven’s anxiety made it difficult to stand still and her pacing was irritating to say the least for Ororo. She frowned but said nothing. She wasn’t in the mood for another bickering session with the older mutant. Raven, on her part, was thinking through scenarios that Erik could be going through. A self-aware part of her felt sick at her desperation for her former master’s health. He had tried to kill her and the rest of the world. He was quick to discard her whenever it suited him. Yet part of her still felt concern for him. She always would. He was the first person to admire her natural appearance and accept her for everything she was. That type of emotional significance was not easily thrown away, even after all these years.

She took another lap of the hallway and Ororo finally sighed.

“Will you stop that?” She spat and Raven immediately halted.

“You have _another_ problem, snowy?” The second woman scoffed and Ororo took a step forward.

A series of loud clicks and locks being unwound made them pause their verbal sparring session. The blue light in the centre of the circular door beside them flashed twice before it slid away to the left, revealing Hank and Xavier. Both were clearly distressed. Hank swiftly pushed past them.

“We have basic radiation protection gear for when I was working on the jet’s engines. I’ll get them now.” He shouted as he ran to his lab.

Raven gave an intense look at Charles and his body sagged slightly.

“He’s hurt. Rather badly, it seems. Radiation burns. He’s flickering in and out of consciousness.”

“Who attacked him?” Ororo asked.

Ever since the initial feelings of dread and anger several minutes earlier, Ororo had felt nothing from Erik. Their connection was void. However, she did _briefly_ feel something from Elizabeth. Confusion and concern. But that quietened almost as soon as it appeared. She was always quick to guard her emotions from Ororo, even during these types of events it seemed.

“We don’t know. He’s not conscious enough for me to lock onto any useful memories. I could barely grasp the concept of radiation and burning before he blacked out.” Charles explained, “I want you, Scott and Hank to take my private plane. Hank has the coordinates. He appears to be in Columbia.”

“Why only three?” Ororo interrupted, “You do not know what attacked him. This may be a trap.”

“Which is exactly why this is a recovery and scouting mission, at most.” Charles answered firmly, “We don’t want to risk everyone for something we don’t know. And we have limited equipment for something like this. Besides,” He shifted slightly in his wheelchair, “We don’t need to panic the school. Ororo, you will go about your day as usual. I will take over Hank’s tour team and-”

“Are you seriously focussing on your damn school’s appearance right now?” Raven laughed cruelly, “He could be dying and you’re here pla-”

“Listen here.” Charles said in a low tone, “We have government agents breathing down our back. We have families all around the campus. What do we do in this scenario? Enlighten me.” He challenged.

He was met with silence and a foul stare.

“Ororo,” The Professor continued, “Please inform Scott he is to get in Hank’s car and to bring his combat vizor. Hank will explain everything on the trip to the runway.”

She nodded and quickly ran to the nearest elevator, leaving Charles alone with his foster sister. He studied her for a moment before he looked away. His face was tense as he began speaking.

“I know you still have some…feeling to-”

“Don’t start.” Raven sighed as she began to hope Hank was almost ready with the gear.

“Raven, I want him safe as well. I do. If I wanted him harmed, I would’ve caused a psychotic breakdown whenever I met him without his helmet. But we have a lot more on the line that just Erik.”

Raven stared at him for a moment.

“And what happens when the day comes arrives when one of your X-Men aren’t as important as your grand image?”

Charles didn’t reply. He simply shook his head and rolled off. Raven watched him leave, feeling her frustrations rise at his lack of answer. He was always a master of chess. She just hoped the pieces never became one of their lives. At least Erik was direct with where everyone stood with him. Charles just preferred his little games.

***

Scott was still not a fan of flying. Even in such a nice, albeit old, private jet such as the Professor’s. It clearly hadn’t been used in a while. The pillows and cushions were caked in dust as he, Hank and Raven swiftly pulled out as much furniture as they could. With as much effort as they could afford, a medical cot with some basic medical equipment and supplies were placed into the bulk of the plane. It was a tight fit, making him feel slightly claustrophobic. The thick, yellow hazmat suits they were wearing didn’t help, either. He’d muttered a prayer that this venture didn’t result in cancer for the young man. While mutants were slightly more resistant to radiation than humans, he didn’t want to press his luck.

“Strap in.” Hank called in from the cockpit, “We’re landing in three.”

Raven called out an affirmative as she began strapping herself in. She’d been silent this entire trip, even when he or Hank had attempted a small conversation. She was too lost in her thoughts. Scott buckled in but grunted as he felt turbulence. He closed his eyes and sighed again. It’d be better if his legs weren’t in his ass right now. The cot was pressing into his knees and cutting off blood flow into his feet. Magneto had better be alive. Between sneaking out of the campus, driving almost forty minutes to the small airstrip, and the three hours of flight, this was not a swift rescue.

Hank called out again but Scott missed what was said. He didn’t need to guess too hard, though. The jet shook violently for several moments and Scott looked out to see greenery and a large series of mountains. Within a minute, the plane came to a halt. Hank hastily double checked everything as Raven unstrapped herself and practically kicked the door open. Scott soon unbuckled himself and proceeded to assist in lifting the cot out. Hank was behind them with a medical kit and Geiger counter, surveying the conditions around them. Even within the safety suit and with his red vizors, Scott could vaguely make out that they were in a canyon or valley of some sorts. With lots of trees and a river a few dozen miles away. It was getting dark, as well. They had landed at the base of a steep hill that led up to the mountainous border of the valley. Nothing was in sight. Especially not their rescue target.

“The Professor saw a hut in Erik’s mind.” Hank said as he began walking up the slope, “He said look for a small house near the top of one of the smaller slopes.”

Scott nodded and followed, awkwardly carrying the cot with Raven as they tried to ascend. Hank hummed to himself as he studied their surroundings. It didn’t take long before his counter started cracking. Radiation still remained. Not enough for a major concern but still enough to warrant wearing the suits. It appeared all around them, as well. The jet was going to need a thorough cleansing after this. That or it would need to be scrapped altogether. No point in having a luxury jet if it gave you radiation poisoning every time you went on a holiday.

The ground was torn up heavily as well. Thousands of small tunnels had been made, barely the size of a coin. Similar marks had been observed in countless cities when Magneto tried to obliterate them. A fact that made part of Hank question why they were even here. He knew Charles still cared about him as did Raven. The latter element formed a bubble of jealousy that was not easy tossed away as Hank continued scouting the area.

And then Hank found him. Lying unconscious on his back on the edge of the slope. The trio quickly ran up to him and found a ruined house, piles of hardened pools of metal and a severely injured man. The doctor ran his counter of the immediate area and it violently creaked. What type of mutant were they dealing with? Raven kneeled the best she could in the armour and radiation gear she was wearing. Erik’s chest was a blotchy red and a sickening yellow, with disturbingly large blisters forming around his wound. Hank checked his vitals and the nature of his wounds before turning to Raven.

“He’s alive but his pulse is weak. We need to assess him at the labs. He clearly has some form of radiation poisoning. Remove his clothes and anything external on him that may have radioactive particles. _”_ Hank ordered.

Raven nodded and the two of them carefully cut up the man’s clothing and placed his body on the cot while Scott acted as look out. Of all places to lay low, he picked a weird one. Then again, Scott guessed that was the point. He looked over to the ruined farmer’s house and walked over. It was small, with only two rooms and a very small bed. But it was something. Well, until a tractor ruined it. Just as Scott prepared to leave, something caught his attention. Resting underneath the bed was something metallic and red. Looking back, Scott saw the pair attending to Magneto and appearing in no amount of danger. He walked forward. Kneeling the best he could, he reached under the bed and pulled the object out. It was a helmet. A bright red and sometimes purple helmet with an exposed front strip in an almost Spartan-like manner. The helmet he had worn in Cairo. He had kept it. An odd object to keep, especially given his turn against Apocalypse and alleged regret over his actions that day. Scott gripped the helmet tighter and held it close as he returned to the others.

Hank bathed the burn in some clear liquid before patching it and injected something into Magneto’s neck. He nodded to Raven. The pair lifted the injured man as Scott took point. Both noticed the helmet in his hands but said nothing. He couldn’t really make out their expressions but he easily assumed it was disgust on their faces. It was going to be a very uncomfortable plane trip. Magneto being naked didn’t exactly help either.

***

He was pale and sweating heavily. His body looked so frail compared to his usual bravado and strength. As they snuck him into the lower levels of the mansion during the late hours of the evening, Raven couldn’t help but note this weakened being was once the centre of her life. He was her inspiration and purpose for being. The would-be leader of all mutants. A man whose courage and power would inspire and protect all those that humans had treated so cruelly. Mutants like herself. And yet here he was. Resting and being hastily treated by a former enemy. Seemingly normal and mortal, much like the rest of them. Raven would remember moments like this the next time his superiority complex showed. He bled, just like the rest of them.

She sighed as she crept towards the patient, staring at his deep slumber. He tried to kill her. Twice. She could do it right now. A simple snap to the neck or overdose of whatever Hank was flooding his system with and he would be dead instantly. He certainly deserved it, at least in the eyes of many. He’d toppled entire cities and tried to start a mutant revolt, threatening the President in the process.

Yet she couldn’t. A sickening, heavy feeling dropped in her gut. She couldn’t. Even despite everything, he was the first to see her as _someone_ and not a freak that should cover up. As she looked at him, part of her suddenly regretted insisting Charles aid him. Part of her was grateful. She was a person to him and that would forever haunt her. She couldn’t. And she hated him for it.

The doors unlocked and she turned to see his son walk into the room. He looked hesitant once he noticed she was there but soon resumed walking towards them.

“Am I gonna die from being near you two?” He asked, somewhat seriously.

“We’ve been cleaned. Hank is busy cleaning every part of the grounds we touched. You’re safe.”

“Well,” He shrugged, “that’s always nice.”

He moved next to Erik, on the other side of her. A temporary frown soon relaxed slightly as he examined the sleeping man. Raven struggled to interpret his expressions. Perhaps they were too fast for her to understand? He was clearly worried, that much she could make out.

“He’s alive.” Raven said, “Hank said he’ll make a recovery. If he were a human…”

Peter nodded and placed his wrists on the metal observation bed between them. It looked uncomfortable, Peter thought. It was a stainless-steel panel with just a pillow and a thin sheet around him. Not exactly top tier medical insurance worthy. Still, this was the closest he’d ever seen the man. The man who ran after his mother housed him for two weeks. From what Doctor McCoy had mentioned about Erik’s early life, Peter quickly worked out he was probably tracking someone related to the Nazis when he met his mother. The woman he ran from. Perhaps that’s why he gained his running skills? He inherited it from his father. It didn’t explain Wanda’s powers, however. Nothing on Earth could explain his twin at all.

It was weird looking at the man. All the footage and images showed him to be a giant of a presence. An intimidating being. Even when he’d actually met him twice, Erik had a certain aura to him. Charismatic, calm and very determined. Now he just looked…

“I’m not used to seeing him like this.” Raven said and Peter didn’t reply, “He’s always been so…Erik.” He didn’t reply to that, either, “Why didn’t you tell him that he’s yo-”

“I pussied out.” Was the direct answer, “It was the end of the world. People were going to die. And I pussied out.” He leaned down to stretch his back out, “You told the others?”

“It’s not my business.”

“Should I?” He asked, looking up at her.

His bravado, the same confidence she saw in Erik, was gone from the young man. In his large, soft eyes, she only saw doubt and uncertainty.

“Maybe.” She shrugged and admitted, “He’s hardly father material. I can’t even imagine his reaction to being told he has a son.”

“Twins.” He corrected and Raven’s eyes widen, “Wanda’s a mutant, too. Even more crazy than me.” He cleared his throat, “I want to tell him. I do. Kinda so I can just rail on him for leaving mum with twins.” His face tightened, “He’s not a good man, is he?”

“You already know.” Was Raven’s simple reply, “I can tell you that keeping those types of secrets can…suffocate people. Maybe it’s worth just ripping the wound open so it can finally heal?”

Peter hummed and stood up. He crossed his arms as he walked his way over to her.

“Part of me wants to actually know my dad. Maybe even toss a football around. I’d win.” He quickly added, “A bigger part of me knows I won’t like what I’ll find if I get to know him. I can’t put Wanda through that, either. She had…a rough time with her powers.”

“What are they?”

Peter took a moment to think but came to no conclusion.

“I don’t even know. She doesn’t, either. She makes things happen. When we both went through…you know…mum almost went mad. Between me breaking world records at thirteen to Wanda making all the dinnerware sing like they do in those kids shows we used to watch…” He chewed on his tongue as he reminisced, “Wanda’s the best out of all of us. I don’t…I don’t want to hurt her with him.” He nodded to his father.

Raven thought the situation over.

“Do you need to tell Erik about Wanda?”

***

“Everything’s been cleaned, Jubes. We’re safe.” Jean sighed as she attempted to sneak back into ground floor.

Her companion was less concerned about stealth or being unnoticed by a staff member.

“I’m just sayin’. He might have a radioactive dick now. And there’s no condom I know about that can protect you from that.” The small girl added as they crept down the staircase.

Jean had sensed the return of the rescue party and have been patient in waiting for Scott to be cleared from the medical bay. However, the moment she felt him reach out into her mind, she had all but raced down towards him. Sadly, her movements had attracted a guest who was equally curious.

“Jubes!” Jean hissed, “He does not have a radioactive…Just shush.” She finished, wanting to drop the topic.

The Asian girl shrugged and remained silent as they snuck near one of the hidden elevators which was disguised as part of the wooden wall. Scott was leaning against the timber but Jean noticed he was talking to someone in hushed tones. Someone with bright, snowy hair. He turned to her and even in the darkness, Jean could see his grin. She smiled back as she quickly wrapped in up in a hug. An action that made Jubilee squeak.

“Dudes, he may still be deadly.”

Scott chuckled silently.

“The Doc ran the tests after giving me chemical showers and some shots that hurt like a mother fucker. I’m clear of radiation.”

“A fact we are all glad about.” Ororo confirmed and Jean nodded.

“How was the mission?” She asked and he sighed.

“He looks bad. But the Doc said he’ll make it. Don’t really know how I feel about that.” He admitted.

“He helped us against Apocalypse.” Jean offered but even she knew she didn’t really want to offer any defence to the man that almost levelled half the world.

“He is a complicated man.” Ororo swiftly stated with earnest, “I can…I know he has regrets.”

Jean raised a brow at the second comment but choose to remain silent. Ororo had been keeping a very closed mind lately. Whereas others were so careless about their thoughts that it felt like people were shouting in the young telepath’s ears. With Ororo, it was hushed or even completely silent. It was enough to make the redhead somewhat suspicious.

“I know but he’s done, like, a lot.” Jubilee countered, “Even before last month. Shouldn’t the crazy guy be in a jail?”

“They tried that once. The Pentagon.” Scott explained, “Peter got him out.”

Jubilee’s eyes widened. Peter broke him out of the _Pentagon?_ That…That was impressive. Very impressive. The girl attempted to subtly shift on her feet as Ororo continued.

“Any news on who did this?”

“Nope.” Scott answered, “Unless anyone knows a mutant atomic bomb?”

Jean shook her head. In all her time within the school, she’d never seen nor heard of a student that could do such a thing. Nor had Jubilee, although she had only been at the school for the last three years. Perhaps the school enrolment list would mention it? Though, she doubted the Professor would keep public records on former students’ powers, especially in the years when mutants were a taboo topic. The hindrance didn’t phase Jean. She’d find out.

“Anyway,” Scott yawned, “Need sleep. We can catch up in the morning. I wanna hear about the teachers and students some more.”

Jubilee rolled her eyes.

“I got stuck with this massive perv who just wouldn’t stop staring at my ti…”

***

His back, legs and arms were freezing. He could sense his surroundings before he could see them. He was on a metallic bed within a metallic room and filled with medical equipment made from primarily steel. He opened his stinging eyes to see a bleary light above him and he winced before he could refocus. He was in a sterile looking medical lab. It didn’t take him longer than a moment to work out where he was. And then the rest came to him as well. The mountain, the man, the glowing.

Lifting the thin, grey sheet from his body, he stared down. His abdomen was tightly wrapped in a dressing clothe and his arms had several drips attached to him. He grunted softly as he reached to pull them out.

“I wouldn’t. They’re the only thing making sure your cells don’t fully collapse from the radiation exposure.”

Before him stood a completely blue woman in a simple black tank top and matching pants. Her face was anything but pleasant. Erik removed his hand and leaned back down.

“I take it you came to my assistance.” He said dryly.

“Charles did. Well, Ororo did.” Raven soon corrected, “Somehow sensed you were in danger. And _then_ Charles demanded we rush to help poor, little Erik.”

Erik refused to bite back. He was too weak and tired. Ororo. She could still feel his emotions as well, it seemed. He was certain the connection would fade in time after the death of their former master but he still felt Ororo and at times Elizabeth. He’d come to loathe the increasingly frequent feeling of being _smitten_ that one of them was experiencing now. He naturally assumed it was the teenage girl who was now in a boarding school with males of a similar age. 

“I’m surprised you let him, all things considered.” He said after a moment.

He noticed Raven walking towards him out of the corner of his eye. Her fingers laced themselves with the various tubes connected to his body. A minor level of anxiety flared within him. She was a killer, after all.

“Charles always sees the best in people.”

“Charles is always naïve.” He added and she remained silent.

She smoothly placed her hand next to his throat. His jaw tightened. While he could sense metal, he severely doubted he could manipulate anything in this condition, not when he was struggling to stay awake.

“If you want to do it, then do it.” He said with a steely gaze, “Stop with the games.”

Her face became blank and for a moment Erik accepted what her next action would be. He had tried to kill her several times. It was only fair that it ended like this. One serpent eating another. But the mortal concern ended with the sound of a door opening. Raven leaned up and observed whoever had just entered. Erik rolled his eyes as he saw a tall, bespectacled man walk beside him to observe the various machines tending to him. Where there was one, there was the other.

“Charles.” Erik stated, awaiting the inevitable response.

“Are you feeling better, old friend?” A hesitant voice said.

“Of course.” Erik scoffed.

“You are stable, and your vitals are improving.” Hank murmured as he wrote something down.

From Erik’s position, he could barely see Hank and couldn’t see Xavier at all. But from the sound of his voice, Charles was to his left.

“You have Ororo to thank for this.” Charles began with a deep sigh, “It seems…your connection with her and possibly miss Braddock is still in place. But that’s a matter for another time.”

“Hmm.” Raven grunted, “Why is someone trying to kill you?”

“Read the three dozen books written on me. That’s a starting point.” Erik answered and Charles allowed himself a cynical smile.

“Someone less than three weeks ago broke into a highly secret military base studying the helmet you wore when trying to kill Nixon.” Erik adopted a stoic expression as he listened, “They had given quite a few people severe radiation poisoning, much like you. They stole your helmet and it appears they now want you dead. So, does that narrow it down?”

Erik took a moment to think over his encounters and enemies. He had almost four decades of his life to quick go through.

“I have never met a mutant with such a power. Or even heard of it.” He said honestly and Charles scratched the side of his face.

“Is there any group or individual who would want to-”

“Charles, between being accused of killing Kennedy, attempting to kill Nixon and allying myself with that Egyptian, I really can’t offer any _specific_ names. It could be anyone.” Erik said irritably through gritted teeth.

“Can’t imagine why.” Hank muttered and Erik chuckled.

“I’ve missed your self-righteousness, Hank.”

“More than my medical training?” The doctor asked with a smirk.

Erik didn’t reply. Instead, he pushed himself up until he was somewhat leaning upwards. Charles was peering up at him, a look of mild distrust and uncertainty pasted on his face. But he was also clearly concerned.

“I don’t know wanted to kill me. But I do thank you for your help. You…You’re still the noble man that wants to lead by example, I see.”

Xavier’s look mellowed into a soft scoff. He looked uneasy once more and it only took a moment for Erik to guess his hesitation.

“If you feel it would help your investigation.” He said in a vaguely sarcastic voice, “Just try to respect my personal space.”

Charles didn’t reply. He merely stared at Erik for a moment and relaxed. Images and sounds came to him. Softly and gently, as if someone was slowly turning up the brightness and volume on a nearby television. The watery images soon stilled, as did the feelings of suspicion, anger and then dread. The watery images drained away.

Erik looked away uncomfortably and Charles placed a finger to his chin. The assailant was cloaked and he had never seen such a power. Not _quite…_

“I’ll let you get some rest.” Xavier murmured absently as he turned on his wheels.

His eyes were vague and staring off into something no one else could see.

“I trust you’ll keep me in the loop.”

It wasn’t a question. Both men knew that much. Xavier nodded slightly, barely registering the comment. He rolled himself out soon after, gesturing for the others to follow. Mystique stared at him one last time before following the two men out. Erik smiled to himself softly as he laid back down, quite content with the recent turn of events. She wouldn’t kill him, not with Charles around. He fed into her sentimental side too much for her to risk killing Erik when he was a patient. For the time being, he was safe from both his former attacker and his former student.

***

Jubilee resisted rolling her eyes as she heard her third sass riddled remark of the morning. The callout for breakfast at 7:30am often received critical feedback from still sleeping students. Still, it was her turn for the week. She wrapped her knuckles on yet another door in the female dorm.

“Hisako! Breakfast.” She called through the door.

A polite ‘ _Let me fucking sleep’_ prompted the short girl to continue her journey with a smile. She was finished with the girl’s dorm, meaning she could finally go to breakfast herself. She felt her stomach tighten with desperation. She loved breakfast. In many ways, she only agreed to get up because of it. Still, she had to check on Kurt to make sure he’d finished his round as well. The Professor had politely advised Jubilee to monitor the German teen’s abilities during the day. Apparently, he was still showing signs of severe muscle fatigue from the previous day’s training.

As she walked across the hallway towards the left side of the house, she noticed a silver haired man leaning against his door. He was perfectly still, for once. And just as handsome as ever, even just after getting up. His hair was a little messy, but that could have either been bed hair or due to his running. His face was scrunched up, paying little attention to grumbling students dragging their feet around him. He was reading a pamphlet. A very familiar one…

“The Professor give you that, too?” She asked miserably.

The pamphlet vanished as he reappeared in a far more casual stance. He leaned back against the door and his arms were crossed between blinks. He still looked uneasy, even with the pseudo confident look he was adorning.

“Give me what, Jubes?”

“College brochure.” She answered flatly and she watched as he muttered something, “I don’t know what to apply to, really. Never really thought I’d even go, ya know? Always seemed…”

“Too good for you?”

“Lame.”

They both took a moment to take in each other’s answer. Peter nodded somewhat agitated and started averting eye contact. Jubilee frowned.

“I don’t think you’re not good enough for college.” Peter immediately went to say something, “You broke into the Pentagon and tried to fight Apocalypse one on one! Name another applicant who can say that.”

“I don’t know. This isn’t really that interesting, anyway.” He said and she instantly knew he was about to run, “Look, I’m st-”

“I’m scared of college.” She blurted out and he stopped, “I’m, like, fucking scared. Because everyone in my grade knows what the fuck they want to do. Or what they’re good at. Or what route to go in life to get money or a stable life. I don’t. Not great at class. Barely any extra cred activities to my name. And…” She peered at the window at the end of the dorm, stretching her jaw for a moment, “And I really get scared and nervous thinking about that. I’ve always had some safety net. I had my parents until they kicked me out. Then I had the Professor. But out there…And the only time I was alone, living in that mall, I almost died.” She finally drew her eyes to Peter again, “So, I really won’t say you’re not good enough. Because you at least have the ability to achieve things. I’m boring.”

The response to her comment took her by genuine surprise. He snorted a tiny bit and stifled a laugh.

“I mean…You’re not _that_ boring. Could maybe…lose the obsession with yel…Hey!” He called, appearing in front of her as she tried to storm off, “I was messing. Look, I’m not really the kinda guy you wanna compare notes with.” He said with a strange amount of seriousness, “I was living with my mum until a few weeks ago. In my mid-twenties. Lame as hell. I’ve never held a job more than a month. I was a high school dropout at sixteen. I can’t focus. At all. My father is a wanted criminal.” Jubilee opened her mouth in confusion but he pushed on, “And not a single member of my family, aside from my twin, has ever gone to college.” He shook his head and hands obscenely fast, “Not the greatest of factors to play here, dudette.”

She rolled her eyes and continued to make her way down the stairs.

“You’re still in a better position, Pete.”

“Is it a competition? I usually win those.” He said, once more appearing beside her.

She bit back the urge to shout at him. This was by far the longest she had ever engaged with the man and it was infuriating to say the least. He completed missed her point. However, from Peter’s view, she had missed his. He groaned dramatically as he watched her ignore him.

“Okay, okay.” He stopped and rolled his eyes a little, “You’re not…We’re not in the Great College Applicants Camp. Fair?”

A minor smile formed on her lips and she nodded.

“It’s a pretty lame camp.”

“I hear it had a herpes breakout two sessions back.”

“Is…Is this the hypothetical camp or…Like, did you…” She began nervously.

Peter attempted to answer but didn’t have the opportunity. Scott ran to their side. He looked tired and worn to say the least. His face was pale and droopy, with a noticeable drag to his feet.

“Pete. Go eat quickly. Professor wants us downstairs.”

“He say why?”

Scott shook his head and ran off towards the male dorm, presumably to find Kurt. Peter grunted and turned to the girl next to him.

“We can discuss this camp’s health warnings later.” She said with a soft smile.

“Yeah. Well, I see you around.” He said and disappeared.

He reappeared instantly.

“Also, just to be clear, I never had a case of-”

***

Kurt was resting his head on the cool surface of the metallic meeting room. The coolness was relaxing his aching head. The room was large and filled with various screens, maps, charts and even a large blackboard filled with Hank’s handwriting. The middle of the room housed a large round table with several chairs around it, most of which were occupied.

Beside him, Ororo gave the blue teleporter a concerned look. He clearly was still recovering from his last training session. However tempted, she refused to make a comment about Mystique pushing him too hard. It wasn’t worth the argument, especially with the Professor here to support her. He always would. She gave her friend’s shoulder a soft squeeze and he mumbled something in German.

“What happened to elf man?” Peter asked as he and Scott walked in.

Peter was scoffing down two muffins at a time while Scott was carrying two water bottles. One of which he gave to Jean as he sat down next to her. Peter took his place between the Professor and Hank. Everyone was here now.

“Still recovering from your last match.” Jean explained with a tatter and Peter snickered.

Kurt pulled his head up and gave Peter a surprisingly filthy look. Ororo was impressed. Charles quickly interjected, bringing the session to a beginning.

“Raven has suggested a way to track the mutant who attacked him without Cerebro, or telepathy for that matter.” He paused and shifted uneasily, “Though I admit I do not feel entirely comfortable with it.”

“What is it?” Jean asked and Mystique turned to her.

“I know a mutant tracker who also knows a hell of a lot about various mutant groups, both legal and otherwise. If we pay him enough, he’ll probably know something.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes for a moment.

“Calliban?” He asked and Raven raised a brow, impressed he remembered the mutant’s name, “Nien. He iz a…Ah…”

“Can’t be trusted?” Jean offered.

“Ja! He also…” Kurt became unsettled for a moment and for some reason, started peering at Ororo from the corner of his eye, “Psylocke vas vere last time vith him.”

Ororo was passive, even as several of the others stole quick glances at her. She wasn’t anticipating on meeting the woman again, not after Cairo. But the gods had clearly developed a way of mocking her anxieties. Erik was several dozen metres away and now Elizabeth was possibly with their latest source of information.

“Would that be a problem?” Hank asked Raven.

“Maybe.” She said vaguely, “She may have run off to somewhere else. I don’t really know her aside from being Calliban’s pet.”

“Any other…pets?” Scott sighed.

“He has his guards. There’s one that makes muscles pause. Calliban always loved using him to suffocate those that didn’t pay him. I think there was one that generated spikes, as well.”

“You do not seem to know a lot.” Ororo said and Mystique’s lip twitched.

“My interactions with him didn’t involve guards.”

“Surprising.” Hank murmured before turning to Charles, “We still only have your jet and that’s still being cleaned out due to the radiation. And I’ve only _just_ started ordering parts for the blackbird’s replacement. So,” He looked around, “Are we boarding a commercial plane?” 

Charles stared at the table for a moment, mewling over an idea. An idea that involved the blue teen across from him.

“Kurt, if I were to project one of Raven’s memories into your mind, could you teleport there?”

A bizarre, panicked laugh forced its way out of the German teen.

“I can…teleport to…a mile or so away. Not a continent avay. I’d…I’d die.”

“After Kurt’s previous issues with endurance,” Scott began, “maybe we should skip that one.”

The Professor sighed deeply and he turned to Hank.

“Please purchase several return tickets to Germany. I want you, Raven, Scott, Jean and Ororo to investigate.”

“Um,” Peter jumped up swiftly, “And us?” He asked in a heated tone as he waved to Kurt.

“Kurt is still recovering from, what I gather, was a series of thousands of continuous teleports. And I need at least one able person to protect the school in case of an emergency. And given your speed, you can evacuate everyone if needed. You’ve done it once, already.” The Professor reasoned.

Peter shook his head but sat down, begrudgingly understanding the Professor’s point. Scott put his head in his hands. He would have to fly again and this time, it would be far more cramped.

“How do we get the gear through customs?” Jean asked, suddenly taking a strong interest in Scott’s abnormal glasses.

Charles smiled at her in an almost cheeky fashion.

***

"Thank you.” Jean said to the security officer as he passed her the thick suitcase that had just made it through the X-Ray machine.

She was the first to go through customs, just like she had been at the airport in the United States. The order was very intentional. As Scott passed his similarly thick suitcase into the large man’s hands, Jean reached out with her mind. Security opened the suitcase and tossed a brief look at the contents before zipping it up and throwing it on the conveyer belt. In his mind, all he saw was some tossed clothes and cheap magazines, not a set of bizarre red and silver vizors and a thick set of blue and yellow armour. She did the same with the entirety of the group and they made their way to the exit of the large airport. Her stomach felt mixed about such a use of her powers. It seemed so trivial to just altered a dozen or so people’s perception of simple luggage. Even if it allowed them through the country with ease, she felt uncertain about such a mental invasion.

Hank had arranged a small apartment in a quiet backstreet of Berlin, not too far away from the nightlife but with enough distance to not draw too much attention. They waited till evening before changing into their gear.

“If he’s still operational, he’ll be directly in front of us, by those old buildings. That gated pass, near the concentrate stairs that lead downwards. That’s where he’ll be. And he’ll already sense we’re here. Stealth is a formality at this point.” Raven explained dryly as she pointed through a window.

“It’s a four-story window.” Scott repeated gruffly as he pulled on his boots.

“I’ll lift you down.” Jean said with a small smile as she tied her hair into a bun.

“If this goes to shit,” Raven started again, puffing her blue cheeks out, “Immediately target Calliban and the man with the red hair. He’ll paralyse you immediately.” She said, “Then head to the door, split up, and re meet at the secondary location.”

An abandoned bar a few blocks away. Scott sighed but nodded, making sure his vizor was secured tightly. He nodded to Jean who smiled again. A little _too_ sweetly. Using her powers, she playfully shoved him out the window. He bit his lip to remain silent but he gently landed on both feet. He looked up and saw Jean gliding down to stand next to him. She smirked and he resisted the urge to mutter something. Hank was next. Well, Hank and Raven. She was clinging tightly to his back as he landed next to them. Without his beastly appearance, he looked odd and even warped in his armour. He looked so…skinny in the bulky suit without his fur. Ororo was last. She awkwardly hovered down, tilting to and thro as she tried to steady herself. 

The gate buzzed as they came several metres near it, and they watched as an unnaturally fat man in a black and yellow unitard opened it for them. His face and upper chest were severely scarred. Raven immediately recognised him as the man Angel had faced before challenging Kurt. He clearly was a survivor, it seemed.

He said nothing. With a nod, he extended his flabby arm to the side and Mystique took the lead. Several drops of water were dripping constantly around them as they descended into the steel and concrete subterrain, acting as drums heralding their wake. Two more individuals were standing at the second gate. They exchanged looks before opening it and allowing the group in. The entryway was a large war bunker, filled with desks, cameras, files, cabinets and a lot of weapons. Jean felt many emotions around her, even jealously. She looked before her and felt the mental presence of three telepathic women glaring at her from around a small wooden table. Identical triplets. She offered them a meek look. One they sneered at.

The fat man pushed past them and thundered towards the end of the room. He whispered something to a bald man dressed in a fine charcoal suit who was leaning over a desk. He nodded and the fat man waved them over. Scott noticed almost a dozen more guards, some with guns, around them in various positions. All of them staring at the group.

“Mystique.” The bald man said in an odd accent as he stared at his papers, “Calliban missed you. Heard you almost died. Would have been a… _great_ shame if you had.”

He looked up and Jean almost stepped back as she stared at his unnatural, large pupils that were an off-gold colour. He gave Mystique a bizarre, toothy grin as he straightened himself.

“You bring friends to meet Calliban? Calliban honoured. Very honoured,” He leaned across his desk, “given Calliban knows these people killed a certain Egyptian mutant who stole from me.”

Ororo felt a wave of agitation at that comment. She frowned. It wasn’t her emotion. Elizabeth was here, sculking in the shadows somewhere. Ororo began scanning the location as subtly as she could. She didn’t get much of an opportunity.

“Calliban was also robbed by that girl as well.” The tall man said briskly, “Calliban should get repayment for that.”

Several guards who were previously leaning against the walls were suddenly standing upright. Jean began mentally scanning for any mutant with the power to seize muscles but she felt her powers being wrapped up and chocked. A horrific headache formed and she stared at the now smirking trio of blonde telepaths in the corner. Scott had a finger to his vizor already, noticing Jean’s clear pain. Raven was simply silent. Even as she reached into her pocket and tossed three wads of cash at him. The man laughed.

“Calliban missed you.” He said as he inspected the money, “Three different currencies? You know Calliban loves to trade. You may keep her.” He gestured to Ororo and the guards suddenly relaxed.

Jean’s mind was eased but only after several moments too long. The girls were petty towards other telepaths, that much was clear. Raven took a step closer and leaned against the table, staring at Calliban in an almost bored fashion.

“Have you ever sensed a mutant that can control and emit radiation? Nuclear.”

Calliban gave another toothy smile and interlaced his heavily ringed fingers.

“Calliban knows much. Calliban costs much.”

Raven grunted as she placed a fourth wad between them. The man almost giggled.

“Calliban did sense an odd power a few days ago. Calliban does not like this mutant.” He admitted.

“Why?” Hank asked slowly.

“Because he knows how to hide from mutant trackers.” A voice replied with a scoff.

Ororo’s pulse quickened as she watched a beautiful female with purple hair walk towards them. Well, _prowl_ would be a far more accurate word. She was wearing a thick, dark green coat. One that was no doubt hiding her blade. She didn’t even look at Ororo as she stood across from Hank, Raven and Calliban. The latter regarded the woman with a mixed expression. Jean could feel immense animosity from the man. He was upset over something about her. 

“Psylocke tells tales she shouldn’t.” Calliban reprimanded coldly.

Instead of replying directly to him, she turned to Raven.

“How much money you got left?” She asked and Calliban chuckled sinisterly.

“Calliban is growing tired of these little signs of disrespect. Calliban manages meetings here. And Calliban was very forgiving to even allow you here after you abandoned him. After you let Calliban almost die.”

Jean quickly put the context together. Ororo had mentioned that when she first met Psylocke, Apocalypse took the two of them away to find Angel. Psylocke was the item the god had stolen from him. He clearly was not the forgiving type. Although, he _did_ let her come back to him.

“We just want to know who has those types of powers.” Hank quickly said to the both of them, “We can pay. But we need at least a name and a rough location.”

“Calliban knows five such mutant-”

“If you’re looking for who attacked Erik, we can’t help you.” Psylocke said abruptly, “Calliban knows shit about that mutant. He’s a ghost. His powers never appear often and when they do, it’s for a few seconds only. He must have a way of hiding his powers.” She turned to stare at Jean, “And we can’t find his mind, even with the Stepford Five over there.” She nodded to the triplets behind Jean.

Quintuplets, it seemed. Where were the other two then?

Calliban was shaking. He offered a serious of uneasy chuckles as he stared at his employee.

“Calliban,” He began, “offers you _another_ place with Calliban.” Psylocke’s face hardened, “Calliban was willing to forgive. To trust again. But all you have done since returning to Calliban is challenge him. Mock him. Calliban thinks you hate being here now.” He sneered as he leaned closer towards her, “That you’re upset that you didn’t get to rule the world with Apocalypse. That you’re here because you have _nowhere_ else left to go.” He straightened once more, “Calliban also thinks that isn’t a good enough reason to have you here, mocking him.” He spat.

He made a vague movement with his left arm but that was all that was needed for Psylocke to act. Within a second, her arm had whipped out of her coat and a thick, purple blade made from glowing psionic energy was at his throat. The atmosphere in the bunker immediately changed. Every single non-member of the X-Men stood up and stared directly at Psylocke. She stared directly back at them as a lioness would to a group of antelope. Hank had his hands raised slightly as he gave everyone a pensive look.

“We don’t need any issues tonight.”

“Calliban is not interested in you, anymore.” He said as he stared at Psylocke, “Calliban asks you mind your own business as he is minding his.”

Raven rolled her eyes dramatically.

“You can have this pissing contest later. We’ll pay either of you for information.”

“Well,” Psylocke smirked at Calliban, “How much?”

Calliban chuckled at her. Storm simply felt pity watching the pair of them. She could feel Psylocke’s emotions far better with such little distance. All she felt was frustration, anger and simple misery. Calliban was right. Elizabeth hated being here. She had nowhere else to go and she hated it. To the point where she was willing to provoke him just as a way of venting that frustration.

“You’re a bit old to be going through your rebellious phase.” Calliban continued.

“How about we all stand down?” Scott suggested after clearing his throat, “We can, uh, discuss this l-”

“Calliban suggests you be quiet. Unless we want to put money on who would win between pretty redhead girl and Stepford Cuckoos?”

Something made Scott step forward before he realised what he was saying.

“You can fucking try.” He spat, the fingers on his visor threatening to rotate.

The atmosphere in the room changed again. The guards changed their target from Psylocke to the X-Men. Calliban stared at every person in the room, mumbling as he calculated something.

“Calliban advises those threats not to be made. You’re a bit overpowered.” He shrugged.

“Outnumbered,” Scott chuckled sarcastically, “Not overpowered.”

Calliban knew there was a strong element of truth to that statement, especially given the current void between him and his once favourite guard. He continued his act, however.

“Weather girl, optic concussive blasts, speed and strength and intelligence, shape shifting, and telepathy and telekinesis.” He said as if counting, “Calliban thinks you _are_ overpowered.” 

“Scott,” Hank whispered, “We can leave without an issue.”

“Yes.” Calliban nodded in actual sincerity as he saw a way of de-escalating without him needing to prompt it and show weakness, “Calliban has no issues with you.”

“And take the redheaded slut with you.”

One of the quintuplets gave a snorty laugh. One that was cut off when Scott tapped his vizor threateningly.

“Enough.” Calliban snapped at the girls, “Calliban knows nothing about your mutant.” He said swiftly, “He does not, honestly. The mutant knows enough about mutant trackers, telepathic or otherwise, to avoid us. Now please, leave us to settle with a disrespectful little girl.”

The last part was said as he made eye contact with the purple haired woman.

“You will not hurt her.” Ororo said firmly, “There is no need for anymore blood. Apocalypse is dead. Let the feuds die with him.”

Raven gave her a threatening look to try to silence her but one of the blonde telepaths, the same one as before, stood once again.

“You really wanna allow these people to walk in and talk to you like this?” She scoffed, “They’re fucking with us.” She took a step forwards towards Jean, “They have barely any powers. And the ones they do have are pathetic.”

“Says the telepath that needs two of her siblings to handle one of me.” Jean replied coolly.

That was all it took. That one counter remark. Calliban sighed as he closed his eyes. He had tried, much like Hank, to be peacekeeper. But egos were too high, especially amongst telepaths. Calliban always thought they were a delicate bunch.

All three telepaths in the back corner suddenly pressed down hard on Jean, making her cry out as thousands of needles stabbed at her body. Fire caressed her skin. Snakes snapped at her ankles. Whatever pain they could imagine, the three poured into Jean’s mind. But they were too focussed on Jean and not the others. Scott immediately shot a blast at the table in front of them. He hit the target but barely. Shards of wood flew everywhere as they shouted and flung backwards. Jean sighed as the pressure in her head faded. Seeing the trio clawing to their knees, she quickly made the recovering telepaths freeze with her mind. But she couldn’t last long. Even after only a few seconds, she could feel them pushing back against her, their powers clawing tooth and fang at Jean’s own.

The fat man charged towards Ororo only to fall and slide miserably to the side. In his determination to knock the girl away, he didn’t seem to notice the icy residue forming on the ground. The force of his collapse made the ground shake and Hank had to steady himself. He felt his skin turn and his body expand. A metallic taste flooded his mouth as fangs burst from his teeth. He turned to see a man with dark skin smirk at him. Bony protrusions cut their way out of his skin and clothes to form armour. He side stepped the blue man. He tried to, at least. The now furry mutant leaped up into the air and roared as he grabbed the man’s bony shoulders and slammed him into the pavement below. The man’s eyes crossed and became hazed. Hank immediately let go and stood back, assessing how much damage he’d made on the guard.

Two guards tried to raise guns at Psylocke but she revealed her second arm from under her coat. One holding a long katana that knocked them away with ease. Her purple blade never left Calliban’s throat. Disarmed, the guards held their hands up and backed away.

Scott felt his body roll to the floor and coughed as someone kicked his stomach. Looking up, he saw a figure vanish into a shadow formed under a lamp. The person reappeared by a shadow behind Ororo. Scott immediately sent a blast to knock him into a wall. One that had enough recoil to slam Scott’s head into the ground. He felt numb and sick afterwards. Ororo rushed to try and lift him but another guard, one holding a long life, attempted to impale her. An attempt that failed as Beast grabbed his arm with another force to cleanly break bone. The man screamed as he dropped his knees, clutching his broken limb desperately. Watching the scene unfold, another guard, one that was shaking, backed away. The blades made from water that were hovering around her dropped and splattered on the ground.

Raven was still casually leaning on the table, staring at the sweating bald man in front of her. He sighed as his lowered his gun and clapped twice. His men, well those still conscious or willing to fight, took a step back. Hank immediately started tending to the severely concussed man beside him. The other man with a broken arm gave him a pleading look. Ororo and Jean quickly tended to the clearly concussed Scott as he mumbled nonsense. The Stepford Cuckoos rose, their eyes never leaving Jean. If only all five were there…

Psylocke was the last to lower her weapon.

“Calliban misses Stephen. Your muscles would all be dead by now if he were here.”

“Killed?” Mystique asked.

“Married.”

“That’s nice.” The blue woman nodded before addressing the both of them, “So no info? Really?”

“Calliban,” He gritted his teeth, “doubts anyone knows a name. If Calliban doesn’t, then no one does.” He looked directly to Raven, “You can trust Calliban on that.”

The woman sighed but gave him yet another two wads of cash. He lacked his usual chipper response as he shoved the money into a drawer. She nodded to the others and Scott began to cover the door as they headed to leave.

“Calliban likes your new armour.” He said as Raven straightened to leave, “May Calliban know the designer?”

“I’ll see you around.” Raven grunted as she turned to follow the others.

As he covered Raven’s exit, Hank noticed the almost murderous look Calliban gave his purple haired assassin.

“Get out.” He hissed at her, “You are no longer allowed to crawl here.”

***

“You need to stay awake.” Hank repeated as he placed an icepack on Scott’s forehead.

The teen tried to push him away but he was too groggy and missed entirely. Jean rubbed his back soothingly.

“He’ll be fine. We’ll see how he is in the morning. I’ll stay up with him.” Hank told Jean and she tried to complain, “You’re not medically trained. Get some rest.” He told her.

She reluctantly nodded and gave Scott a kiss on the cheek before walking to the room she was sharing with Raven and Ororo. Only one of which was present. Raven was already in bed but Ororo was gone, her armour resting in her suitcase already. Feeling anxious, Jean immediately reached out with her mind. She found her quickly. She found her quickly and frowned. Storm was on the roof _with_ someone.

The short African girl rotated on her feet, looking as she saw a tall, lithe woman silently step towards her on the rooftop. They were silent for a moment, trying to read the other. Elizabeth was the first to comment, growing tired of the freezing temperature of the night. Though, at least she had her coat on. The teenager in front of her was merely wearing a simple white t-shirt.

“You need to control your emotions better.” She said bluntly, “The feedback I’m getting from you is ridiculous.”

“I do not regret being open with my emo-”

“I’m talking about those damn…” Psylocke’s face scrunched up, “poxy feelings you get.”

Ororo looked confused, not quite understanding the meaning of the English sentence. Psylocke grew irritated.

“Get a hold on your stupid growing crush.”

“I do not have a crush!” The teen hissed childishly before quickly changing the topic, “And at least I do not only feel…mopey.”

“Mopey? I was fine until your little squad took my home from me. That’s twice _you’ve_ done that, Ororo.”

Storm rolled her eyes.

“You hated being near Calliban. He reminds you of failure.”

“Careful.” She warned.

“No.” Storm bit back, “All you do is regret being there. He wanted to hurt you. I stood up for you. And now you complain and whine.” A flash of purple signalled the blade being pressed to the young girl’s chest. “Now who is being over emotional?”

Psylocke was silent. And then chuckled before extinguishing her blade. She had missed the snark from the young girl. She put her hands in her pockets and looked at the city beside them.

“Maybe I need to thank you, then? Bunker always was a shithole.”

“Do you have a place to stay?”

Elizabeth frowned. She turned back to the girl with an almost humoured smirk.

“Are you about to offer me a room? How polite.” She said sarcastically.

Ororo shook her head. Even Erik was less stubborn than this woman.

“The Professor is a good man. He took me in and gave me a home. Like he has for so many.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes, “He took Erik back in recently.”

“Yes, we know.” She chuckled, “Xavier seems to be running a zoo.” She laughed louder.

Ororo did not. She waved the older woman off and turned towards the door.

“Apocalypse is dead. Stop trying to live as if he isn’t. He lied to us _all_ and gave us _false_ promises. I know it hurts not having the…power and freedom you thought he could give you. But sulking and…living like a rodent does not achieve anything.”

A hand ripped Ororo around. They were within inches of each other. A flash of anxiety travelled through Ororo as she braced herself for the blade. It didn’t come. Psylocke stared down at the frightened girl, her aggressive face cooling.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” She murmured and she stepped back, “But you don’t know a single th-”

“Our minds are connected. Do not lie to me. You wanted to stop being in someone’s shadow. By stepping into _his_ shadow. And then you went back to Calliban’s shadow.” Storm shook her head again, “You do not need to live this life. Be around other mutants who want to _help_ others. Xavier is not perfect but he is a good man. _Please._ ”

Psylocke examined everything about the pleading girl in front of her. Everything from her freezing skin, to her well-kept clothes, to white hair. And the desperate look in her eyes.

“Why do you want me there?”

“Because you are in my head and I know you need somewhere to belong.” She said before feeling exposed, “Like I did. We fought together with a horrible man. Let us fight together with a good one.” 

***

A/N: Hi all. Hope you’re doing well. Thank you so much for the kudos and comments! It’s really fantastic to get them.

Sorry for the late update, I’ll try to be quicker next time. Next chapter will deal with the team trying to unravel the mystery of who attacked Erik, as well as seeing how the team interacts with Psylocke. As well as how the new teachers handle the students and become more interwoven with the plot in a tighter way. Plus Peter learns how to interact with Erik on a more casual basis.

If you have any feedback on the length or anything in general, please don’t hesitate to comment or reach out. Otherwise, thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a great week!


	6. The Guest House

The scene before her would almost be comical, had Elizabeth not been in a relatively foul mood. The look of two men, schoolteachers no less, scolding her from behind a large wooden desk reminded her of her own school experiences. The large, Victorian design of the house resembled her academy quite closely, as did the disapproval of authority figures. But no, she was not laughing or even smirking at the similarities. She didn’t exactly want to be here. Surrounded by loud children, teachers and worse yet, the group of mutants that shattered her dreams of being able to no longer need others to survive. Had it not been for Calliban’s dismissal and the large, round brown eyes of a teenage girl, she would not be here in any capacity.

“You tried to garrotte me.” The tall, skinny man with glasses continued.

He had been making a rather long list of why she should not be here. So far, she couldn’t exactly deny anything yet.

“We’re both still here.” She said in a deadpan tone and Hank scoffed irritably.

“No thanks to you. She sided with Apocalypse _intentionally_. Ororo admitted that. And she helped kidnap you.” He ranted, hastily jabbing his finger down on the table as he spoke.

Charles was silent. He had been so during the entire meeting, excluding the minor comment of allowing her into the office. Between not having any useful information on Erik’s assailant, Psylocke appearing on his front step, Ororo demanding she stay and word of Scott almost starting the conflict in the bunker, Charles’ mind was scattered. He felt uneasy, especially given how another parent and guardian day would be held in the next few days. One that would be witnessed by an assassin, no less.

“I helped deal with Calliban.”

“To save yourself.” Hank paused, suddenly catching onto his words, “What am I saying? You _started_ it when you put that blade against his throat.”

“He was about to pull a gun on me.” She replied smoothly, raising an eyebrow at him, “What would have been your course of action?”

“Why do you want to stay?” Charles suddenly asked in a quiet tone.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. She didn’t. Not really. But she had barely any options left. All contacts dropped her the moment word spread she was one of the Horsemen. Calliban was quick to spread that information to spite her for leaving him. He was a jealous thing. What money she had wouldn’t help her for long, either. And she didn’t trust Calliban to not send someone after her, even if she managed to adopt a new life quietly. He could easily detect her powers. At least Ororo had offered another option. A dismal one, but still an option.

“I don’t have any other options and Ororo told me this is a safe haven for mutants.” She replied truthfully.

“You could endanger lives by being here.” The Professor countered.

“Calliban wouldn’t target me near children. Nor would any of his men. Most of them deal with information, not killing kids.”

“We’re trying to prove that mutants and humans can live together here.” Charles said with a blunt tone, “I can’t have you ruin that.”

“Then put me in a tower, like you have with Erik.”

She had sensed the man the moment they entered the grounds. Aside from Ororo’s feelings of uncertainty and giddiness, she could feel someone’s frustration and sudden confusion as she neared. Calliban wasn’t lying when he told her Erik had been with Charles again. Though, he never really lied to her at all.

“Basement, actually.” Charles corrected without any sense of humour in his tone, “What…do you offer us?”

“Excuse me?” Psylocke scoffed, trying to hastily work his angle.

“Well, if you’re making a case to stay here, what are the benefits for us?”

The question was never answered. Elizabeth rose and straightened her coat. And then headed to the door of the man’s office. This was just embarrassing for the woman. A woman that was one of the deadliest beings in the world. And now she was being subject to a job interview. She managed to open the door but quickly met the gaze of someone far shorter than her with large, harsh chocolate eyes. And white hair so tall it added another several inches to her height.

“Move.” Psylocke said stiffly but the teen would not move an inch.

Ororo gave her a threatening look before standing on her tip toes to look at the men behind her. A snort left her as she barged past the older woman to enter the office herself.

“You had once said to me, that just because someone had lost their path does not mean that cannot find it again.” She said as she crossed her arms, staring directly at the Professor, “Do you no longer believe this?”

A strained sigh left Xavier as he nodded stiffly. He began to roll around the table to close some distance between them, quickly guessing how difficult this conversation was about to become. Elizabeth said nothing, preferring to watch from the doorway.

“Ororo, this is a school. The safety of the students _must_ come first. Even before us. Elizabeth is an assass-”

“My last occupation was guard.” Psylocke corrected and a minor growl escaped Hank’s throat.

“I was also with Apocalypse. You gave me a better chance. To do better for others. Did you not?” Ororo said, her face scrunched up with frustration.

“Ororo, I…” Charles took a moment to think his response over carefully, “There is a difference between a young person who was manipulated and an adult who has had a long history of-”

“Like Erik?” She cut in with an almost sinister grin, “You made us _rush_ to him. He has killed far more than Elizabeth. What is the difference? Personal friendship?”

Hank closed his eyes for a moment. In all honesty, he actually fully agreed with that point. Charles’ determination to win over Erik to his ideology was bordering on obsessive at times. Especially given the amount of times he’d actually tried to kill one or more of the team across the years. When comparing notes, Elizabeth was the far lesser evil, even if Erik committed his sins for his belief in a righteous cause. Well, his version of a righteous cause.

Charles’ face tightened and he intertwined his fingers.

“Ororo, this is our decision and-”

“I will leave.”

Both teachers suddenly became uncomfortable and even nervous at Ororo’s last threat. One look at her expression and even the non-telepath knew it wasn’t a bluff. And Raven and Hank had told the Professor about the exact same threat the girl had made to the others in Germany.

“You, of all men, believe in giving another chance. You did for me. You did for Raven. And you have always done so for Erik. Do it for Psylocke. Please.”

***

“Well, your concussion is gone.” Hank said absently as he made several notes and Scott nodded carefully.

They were in the school medical station, as the main subterrain medical bay was currently occupied by their magnetic guest. Charles wanted as little interaction between Erik and people in general as possible. Something about Erik’s tendency for manipulation or something of that ilk. Hence, they were in a cramped space typically used for tending to the younger students. Across the hallway were several such small children sitting on the floor, watching the medical examination with great interest. To them, the process for identifying a concussion was fascinating.

“Well, that’s good.” Scott hopped of the small bench he’d been sitting on during the examination, “Between you and me,” He whispered, “How pissed is the Pr-”

“Mildly.”

The two of them turned to the hallway to see an unhappy bald man staring at them. The children scrambled to their feet and quickly left to parts unknown. Even the younger ones could read the headmaster’s tone. Scott lowered his head as he walked forwards.

“I didn’t start the fi-”

“You almost did. _Twice._ From what Hank and Raven said, all it took was a comment aimed at Jean and you were ready to blast several of them, even Calliban.”

A flush of annoyance ran through the teen. He didn’t even start the fight, that was Psylocke and those…telepath bitches. And they had threatened one of their teammates. One of Xavier’s closest students, no less. And now he was giving a lecture to the one person that confronted them over it.

“With complete respect, sir, they were pri…They weren’t pleasant and they instigated it, not me.”

“You significantly added to the tension that Psylocke and the…triplets? And the triplets were causing. In a situation when a fight can be avoided or deescalated, we don’t need to add more tinder on the flames.”

“So, I’m just meant to sit there and let them threaten her?”

Charles shifted uncomfortably.

“Look, Scott. When you’re in those situations, you can’t let your emotions rush you into things. I’m not saying to just…allow those situations to go undealt wit-”

“So, I’m allowed to deal with them but not by threatening them back?” Scott chuckled, “How does that work?”

“By standing up to them whilst _not_ threatening them back. There are ways to look strong without needing to point a gun at someone, so to speak. In the field, you cannot let them provoke you into making the first move. Especially not when you’re outnumbered. You can’t let people get to you, even about those we care about. You could have made the situation worse. Put Jean in worse peril.”

“Again,” Scott said briskly, “I didn’t start that damn fight. Hell, Doctor McCoy caused more issues than I did.” Hank gave a sheepish gaze to his friend, “And I saved Jean from those three freaks.”

“And for that, we are _all_ grateful.” Charles said sincerely, “I’m not saying you did all wrong. From what Raven and Hank have said, you handled yourself well and even prevented Ororo from being hurt. I’m just…advising you to get that temper in line a little. It could cause issues and we both know you’d never forgive yourself for that.”

Scott said nothing. He was smart enough to know that given the mood he was now in, silence would be the best route. He gave the Professor a slow nod with a deep sigh but quickly left, disappearing behind a statue near the corridor exit. Charles rubbed his temple, allowing himself a minor smile.

“He has too much of Alex in him.”

“Well,” Hank began as he titled his head, “at least Scott is open to listening to you. Alex was kind of a dick.”

***

The lack of students in the summer made it easier to find places to sulk or cool off. A fact Scott was grateful for. Even by one of the more popular trees near the lake, he was perfectly alone in the quiet, warm breeze. It was humid but the lake was refreshing to be near. A good break from the irritations forming near the school. Scott picked some more grass from below him and twisted it in his fingers. He was defending a teammate. He wasn’t in the wrong. At least…

He sighed and crushed the grass and threw it away. He was trying to help Jean, not worsen the situation. One that went to shit, anyway, thanks to the guest that Ororo had demanded they bring back. Scott, along with Hank and Raven, were extremely resistant to the idea. Something about her trying to kill them had put them off the purple haired woman. But Scott caved when she threatened to stay in Germany if Psylocke didn’t return with them. And after two hours of arguing, even a concussed Scott understood she was serious. First Magneto, now her. At this rate, they might as well try to invite Trask and Stryker in for a meal.

“The grass is running out.”

Scott looked up to see a middle-aged Japanese man in a black vest and what Scott thought was a red tie strolling towards him. Colours were hard to make out for the teen these days. He attempted to get to his feet but Mr Yoshida gestured towards him.

“May I seat with you?” He asked politely and Scott nodded, not quite sure what to say.

The two sat in silence for a moment. Yoshida grew heavily invested in the lake for a time and Scott didn’t really know what to say to the new staff member. Aside from the odd comment here or there during the orientation tour, Scott couldn’t really gauge the man aside from his clear love of fine clothes.

“You are frustrated. Why?”

Scott sighed.

“You wouldn’t get it. Trust me.”

Yoshida chuckled at the typical teenage response as he stared at the lake.

“I doubt that very much. Humour me. Please.”

“Well,” Scott drawled, “I have powers that could kill people. I can never see in colour again. Lost my brother a few months back. And the Professor is jumping on my back over something I don’t think was bad.”

Yoshida hummed and nodded, taking a moment to think before speaking.

“Do you enjoy your powers?”

Nothing was said. Not until Scott shifted and straightened his back.

“No.” He admitted, “I kinda hate them, usually. I need to sleep with these damn things on. In case I open my eyes and hurt someone. It’s a shit power. I mean, bad power.” He quickly added.

“I do not think powers are great or _shit_. No. They are simply…us. If our human selves is our body, then our mutant side is often our shadow.”

“The Professor read that to you?” Scott snickered.

“A mutant poet from Japan.” He shrugged, “It flows better in Japanese. But the point is simple in any language. All powers can be appreciated and even loved, if you take the time to learn about them.”

A short sigh left the teen and he stood up.

“I, uh, I’m not really in the mood for this. Sorry, sir. I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I’m just going to go for a drive or something to cool off before dinner.”

Yoshida said nothing. He too stood up. And then stood beside Scott whilst holding his hands flat in front of each other. A bright, unnaturally yellow and white flame burst from one palm and slowly danced towards the other. The licks of flame shifted and became lined and curved, adopting oddly beautiful patterns. And then they vanished as he closed his hands together, resting them by his thighs.

“Those flames are nuclear. Very deadly.” He said with a weary expression, “I was a child when they came. Burning. Everything. Everything I touched.” He poked Scott rather forcefully for emphasis, “I was…I was terrified of myself. Of hurting others. I even ran away to the woods to hide from my family, so to not hurt them.”

“What happened?” 

“My sister,” A faint smile formed for the briefest of moments, “found me and dragged me home. She said she would either stay in the woods with me or I would come back home with her. She was very stubborn. And she promised she would not leave me until I learnt to accept my powers as part of me.” He clicked his fingers as a tiny spark formed, “Now, I control them and myself. I learnt what my powers are. What they do. And what methods to control them.” He cleared his throat, “And what are your powers?” Scott grunted an answer, “Louder.”

“Concussive beams shoot from my eyes.”

“And what do they do?”

“Constantly shoot out and knock anything in their path aside or shatter it.” He sighed dismally.

“Hm. Fascinating.” Yoshida said as if he didn’t already know Scott’s ability, “And how do you control it?”

“I can’t.” He spat, gesturing to the glasses, “That’s why I wear these.”

“So,” Yoshida began to look confused, “You _can_ control it? You _can_ stop yourself from hurting others? And you _can_ live a normal life? And all you had to do is wear glasses? No…isolation from others? No…surgery or experiments needed? Just…glasses?”

Hearing it all listed out like that made a sinking feeling form in his chest. Now he just felt pathetic for complaining about it to the older man. Reading the young man’s expressions well, Yoshida put a hand on Scott’s shoulder.

“I felt lost, too. With a far worse power. But I learned to accept them. I do not know I can help with other problems. But. Perhaps, together, we can find a way to learn to handle your gifts better?” He suggested.

Scott thought the offer through as he felt a wave of relief and even excitement form. While he had trained with Doc and the Professor in trying to handle his powers, neither of them knew how it felt to go through such an ordeal. The closest was the Professor but his experiences as a child were completely different altogether. Mr Yoshida did have an energy and body related power, one that was even more deadly than his. And yet, he had mastered his in a way Scott honestly dreamed of.

“Yeah,” Scott said lowly before picking up some enthusiasm, “I’d really like that.” 

***

The sound of thick clicking and chattering made Erik turn from his food and face the entry of the medical bay. He tried to reach out and felt no metal on the person approaching. It wasn’t Charles or his wheelchair, then. No, it was a tall, muscular woman in a faded green coat. Erik simply turned back to his steamed beans. He was surprised Charles let her roam unaccompanied but quickly remembered he was a telepath. He severely doubted his old friend wasn’t mentally gazing at her every moment, even now.

“You survived.” The woman said matter-of-factly.

Erik didn’t say anything. He was in far better shape in recent days but he was still weaker than he’d like to admit. And he was still dependant on the tubes Hank had so pleasantly shoved into his arms. He tried to ignore her for a while. It was only when Elizabeth knocked his cup of water out of his hand did he look up at her. He gave her a strained expression before leaning back on his sterile steel chair.

“I head you crawled back to Calliban. Was he not too accommodating?” He asked with a twinge of sarcasm.

“Just like you crawled back to Xavier.” She countered and Erik stared at her blankly.

“What do you want, Braddock?”

“Why are you here?”

“Well, someone _did_ try to kill me. And Charles was kind enough to help me.”

“How kind indeed.” She mocked, “Always here to help weak, little mutants left out in the rain.”

“That man has done more for mutants than you’ll ever know.” Erik said in a threatening tone, “What do you want?” He repeated.

She crossed her arms.

“How safe is this place? I want to know from a second party that isn’t six or twelve.”

“Between the redhead, Raven, the boy that shoots beams from his eyes, Charl-”

“I get your point.” She interrupted impatiently, “I mean…How safe is it to stay?”

Erik regarded her for a moment and then gave her question some honest thought.

“Safe enough. Why? Who are you running from?”

“No one that I know of.” She answered dryly, “Best to lie low for a while, though.”

“Ah,” Erik tattered, quickly understanding the subtext, “Calliban _wasn’t_ that forgiving, then.”

She didn’t take the bait. She knew Erik too well for that. When he wanted someone to let something slip, he usually just emotionally baited them until they snapped and accidently mentioned something that shouldn’t have. She saw it enough between he and Angel whenever they would bicker. Instead, she adopted a false smile.

“You’re clearly doing the same. Lying low. Given the sheer amount of people that want you dead. Mutants as well as humans.” Erik’s face tightened and he looked away, “Oh, did I upset you with that news? I’m sorry, Erik, but between Kennedy, Nixon and Cairo, people hate you.” She gave a mocking smile, “Even mutants, especially for almost leveling the world and setting back mutant rights decades.”

Erik turned to her and for a moment, she braced herself for a fight. She could easily feel the anger bleeding into her own set of emotions. 

“If you choose to stay here,” He said as he carefully placed his cutlery beside his empty plate, “try not to endanger the students. They are _mutants_ after all.”

“Mostly.”

Erik turned to her again slowly. His face was quirked in mild confusion at her last comment. She rolled her eyes.

“Xavier wants to make this a multi species school. Currently in the middle of arranging it with the United States Government.”

Erik felt nauseous. Honestly nauseous. He pushed away his plate and stroked his chin as he let the information process within. Charles was…naïve. Always naïve. And now he’ll just give humans even more reason to hate their race. The moment anything happens to a human child, then all of them would be targeted again. Even the mutant children. All it would take is for one _human_ to be harmed and this pathetic cohabitation dream would ruin mutant rights once more. And pave the way for them to be hunted once again. And he was even working with the government that had once approved the Sentinel Program. What was Charles thinking?

***

“… _rove of Starfleet?”_

_“It is not a question of approval. The fact exis-”_

Ororo was only half watching as she lounged around on the sofa. She was huddled in the corner of one of the recreation rooms scattered around the mansion, by the small television. She didn’t need to fight for viewing rights. The small group of children dashed from their spots the moment they saw her. It only made her slump deeper into the chair. Almost the entire team was now uneasy around her and those that weren’t…Well, they didn’t even accompany her on the mission. By demanding Psylocke stay, she had seemingly undone any progress in earning her place her. And it hurt. Not even Star Trek could get her out of this sour, molten mood.

A mood that got slightly worse at the loud screech of wooden legs being dragged along the timber floor. She turned her head slightly to the right to see a tall, thin, blue teen awkwardly pushing a large green padded chair beside hers. She didn’t greet him. She just watched him sit next to her with a lethargic stare. She didn’t have much energy today, not after the long days before.

Kurt smiled slightly as he looked her over, his yellow and black eyes scanning every part of her skin. She shifted slightly.

“Vu are not hurt!” He exclaimed with a grin.

“No, Kurt. I am alive and only scratched and bruised.” She said lamely, “How are you?”

“Better.” He said with an enthused nod, “Sleep helped a lot. Vi can teleport again.”

She didn’t respond. Her eyes rolled back to the screen, not that she was paying much attention to it. She just didn’t know how to reply to a clearly energetic Kurt. She just wanted some alone time with her science fiction. He was far too positive.

“Vis show iz…”

“Is what?” She asked with a level of snark she didn’t notice until Kurt shuddered.

“Vi am interested that vou watch vis.” He answered carefully, his tail swaying nervously on the floor.

“Why?”

“Iz…not as, ah, hmm, interesting az it sounds.” He said politely but she grunted.

“Excuse me?”

“Vell…Vere is so little tension or fear to it. Vey have amazing technology and alvays vin. It is…boring.”

“And what do you watch, Kurt?”

“Vi prefer reading.” He admitted with a shrug, “But Vi do love historical or religious films. Hard to find ve second one. Ve _Godfather_ was not vat I vought it was.”

She hated that last comment. She hated it. Because he said it so genuinely that she knew he wasn’t lying or joking. And that level of sincerity in thinking the _Godfather_ was a religious film made her smile. A smile that quickly faded as she remembered that she was annoyed.

“I have never watched that. And historical films…They lack imagination.”

“Vese people have ears like mine.” He pointed at one of the characters and she glared at him.

“There’s a lot of imagination in science fiction.”

“Ja. As vere iz in history films.” He suddenly grew uncomfortable but he continued, “Vi…heard about Psylocke.” Ororo’s face hardened but not for too long, “Vi support you.”

“What?” She said before she could stop herself.

“Everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone has ve power to be better person. People.” He corrected.

“I am sure the others will get you to think otherwise, when it comes to Psylocke. They are not that grateful she is here after Cairo. She was a Horseman, after all.”

“Vou are vere after Cairo and vi am grateful.” 

Ororo’s eyes widened and Kurt stiffened as the last sentence sat in the room for a moment. His tail began to sway swiftly. He scrunched up his face awkwardly and mumbled several things in German before realising she didn’t speak the language.

“Vot vi mean to say iz vat…” He froze again.

But this time because a pointed ear twitched. He turned to the doorway to see a tall, lean woman with purple hair frowning at the two of them. Ororo subtly shifted away from the boy. Kurt, however, leaned away from the older woman. And right into Ororo’s shoulder and chest.

“What’s on?” Elizabeth asked with a level of sarcasm that was entirely missed by Kurt.

“Oh,” He turned to the screen, “Star Trek. Ororo likes it. Vi don’t. Ve vere just talk-”

“I need a room and I don’t want the beast man to take me.” Psylocke cut in, “I don’t trust him not to stick me with a probe or something.” 

Neither of the teens said a word. She took a step forward and noticed a cloud of smoke suddenly appear before her. She turned slightly to the side to see both Kurt and Ororo at the back of the room at an even greater distance from her.

“Vi can take vou.” Kurt offered.

His tone was polite but surprisingly firm in its meaning. Ororo was not to take Elizabeth. Kurt was. The latter chuckled, amused at Ororo clearly not knowing how to respond to her friend’s comment. So, this was the one that was sparking those stupid teen outbursts from the weather queen. The one that was causing Elizabeth to sporadically feel intense emotions that did not belong to her. And he was _blue._

“I would love that.” Elizabeth said with a predatory grin, “I’ll see you around, Ororo.”

“Yes.” The girl said in a slightly shaking voice, “I hope you have a pleasant settling period.”

Before she finished the sentence, Kurt had appeared beside Psylocke. The assassin was mildly impressed at his spine, given the fact he knew who she was and what she could do. She gave Ororo one last look before exiting the room, quickly followed by Kurt. The trip to the female dorms was uncomfortable to say the least. Students would stop and murmur as they saw the new lady being led around. Many of them simply assumed she was a new teacher, which gave Kurt the idea to simply place her near the female teacher’s rooms. He honestly doubted the Professor wanted her near the children.

“You two are cosy.” She said simply, raising a brow at Kurt as he led her up the stairs.

“And vou are very nosy.” He said with a soft smile, “Vi heard vou helped start ve fight in Germany.”

“I defended myself.”

“And almost hurt vi friends.” He countered with an unusual almost of distain for the passive man.

He didn’t give a chance for a reply. He patted the nearest door they came by and smiled. She quickly realised how far away from the students he had placed her. Perhaps Xavier had mentally told him to?

“If vou need anything, vi am happy to-”

“Thank you. Kurt, was it?” Elizabeth asked with a soft smirk.

“Ja.” He said plainly.

“Alison.” A voice lazily drawled.

Directly across from them was a blonde woman slumping against her doorframe. She, even despite being indoors, was wearing her usual spiked glasses. And, despite the heat and it was barely noon, was in a fluffy bath rope. Unsightly music was blaring from her room. One that looked chaotic as hell itself.

“Nice to meet you.” Elizabeth said briskly before attempting to turn away.

“What are you teaching? I’m the, uh, music and arts teacher.”

Elizabeth sighed and turned back to the younger woman.

“I’m just a valued guest of the Professor.”

“Valued, huh?” Alison scoffed a little, “Guest lecturer? No. You his kid? Mistress? What we talking here?”

“Ve Professor vould be happy t-”

“Look, I’m really not in the mood for this.” Elizabeth said in a cool tone, “I’m going to bed. And you will give me my space. Thank you, Kurt, for your guide.”

She pushed past the young man and promptly shut the door behind her. Alison let out an astonished chuckle.

“She’s, ah, man…Wow.”

“Ja.” Kurt agreed, “Vou should see her vith a knife.”

***

The sounds of clicking and jarring signalled the entrance of yet another guest. Erik felt his shoulders slump as he put his novel down. Charles had been gracious enough to offer several of the texts he knew Erik would enjoy. He was just beginning to enjoy the thrust of the story. The newcomer was not Psylocke, as he had expected, but rather the silver haired man he’d met earlier. The one who had broken him out of the Pentagon all those years ago. The one that was stupid enough to try to challenge Apocalypse on his own.

“Did Charles send you to check on me?”

“Nope. Ran by everyone before they noticed.” He said simply as if that were a normal statement.

Erik lost sight of him for a moment until a fluttering sound made him turn. The speed demon was now standing across from him, staring at him with his hands on his hips. He was wearing an odd blue jacket that had glitter on it with some band’s shirt underneath. His goggles were loosely hanging around his neck.

“Then are you here? To lecture me also?” Erik asked, having grown irritated by today’s visitors.

Peter clicked his tongue and stretched his back. He soundly found it very difficult to ask his already planned questions. Especially given the intense stare his father was giving him.

“I just wanted to ask some questions.”

“Such as?” Erik asked in mild curiosity.

“Why do you do the things you do?” Peter asked swiftly.

The older man paused, trying to understand the nature of the question. Surely Charles had poured his own view of Erik’s motivations into the young man’s brain by now. What was his mission by being here? Perhaps to gain information? No. Erik lacked his helmet and Charles could simply read his mind. He still felt distrust towards the man. Erik always was a paranoid creature, after all. His life had left little room to be anything else.

“What do you know about me?” Erik asked as he pushed his book away.

Peter looked away for a moment, thinking back to earlier conversation with his mother, Hank and Charles.

“You were in the Holocaust. You lost family. Some guy named Shaw experimented on you as a kid. Hunted Nazis in the sixties. Met with Xavier and took down Shaw. Had a massive falling out and tried to form a mutant resistance. Killed Kennedy. Got arrested. Then Nixon. Then…Other things.”

He didn’t have the heart to mention the events preceding Erik joining with Apocalypse. Erik hummed to himself for a moment. Most of those things were _technically_ true, even if they were a gross simplification.

“Do you use your powers in public?”

“Yes.” Peter said simply without a moment’s thought.

Erik frowned before sighing.

“Given your speed, I don’t see why you wouldn’t. Wrong example. Do you see anyone else use their powers in public?”

Peter shrugged.

“Yeah, sometimes. Yeah.”

“I never saw _anyone_ use their powers when I was your age. When I was in my forties, mutants were still hiding in fear of being hunted. Of being tortured like lab rats and of being exterminated. I had already seen that before.” He said in an uncomfortably plain tone, “I saw my people being hunted. Dragged from their houses and from the street. I saw people being scarred and marked and processed into a death camp when I was a _child.”_

Peter looked away as he began to feel uncomfortable. He wanted to run or fidget but he knew he couldn’t. Not if he wanted _some_ type of bridge to form between the two. If he wanted to know his father, he needed to know all of him. Even the parts that made him sick.

“I saw my people slaughtered. Cut open and tested on. I’ve seen what humans do to groups they hate and fear.” Erik spat, “I will _never_ witness it again. That is why I did what I did. Rightly or wrongly. Because someone needs to protect us.”

“The Professor-”

“Would sit and play teacher while we’re out suffering in the dark. I’ve seen it. Sometimes you need strength to fight cruelty. And that is why I committed my sins. So, we could stand together and stand a chance of survival.”

That last comment about standing together made Peter feel something odd. Something volatile.

“Yeah, well, you haven’t really helped us a lot.” Peter said abruptly. “You kinda have a habit of making things a whole lot worse for a lot of people around you.” His voice was raising, “You…How many mutants are there in the world?”

Erik rolled his eyes and offered Peter a lazy look of disinterest.

“Ask Charles. His machine will tell you.”

“Nah.” Peter said firmly, “I want you to tell me, man. How many? You kinda should know.” Erik was silent, busy trying to understand the point being made, “Because why the hell would you try to start a revolt when you don’t even know how many of us are alive? There could be…like…six hundred mutants and four billion humans. What happens then?”

He was clearly referring to Erik’s speech over a decade ago about a brotherhood rising. Erik’s face mellowed.

“I was showing a sign of strength. To show others that we don’t need to hide from humans anymore. For-”

“You tried to murder a president on live television, dude.” Peter pressed on, disbelief at Erik’s words clear on his face, “They’d wipe us out. There are kids who are mutants who would’ve been targeted because of that. And how many mutants do you think would watch a murder and just run to you, anyway? I wouldn’t.” Peter shrugged.

“Well, that’s your choice. Not that it matters now, anyway. The notion of a brotherhood of our kind failed. At least how I imagined it. I left that part of my life a long time ago. I’ve had to leave a lot of things behind.” His face grew morbid as he idly touched a necklace around his neck.

“You leave a lot of things.” Peter muttered softly to himself, “Do you still stand by what you did?”

“Are you here just to lecture me?”

“I wanted to see what you’re like.” Peter said with an amount of earnest.

“Why?” Erik questioned with minor annoyance.

Peter waved the question away and appeared by the door. He was unimpressed and deflated by the conversation to say the least. He didn’t know what he was expecting. But it wasn’t that. Maybe something more…optimistic? But no. He clearly still stood by his earlier actions. At least to an extent. He was tempted to bring up his mother. The one Erik had abandoned before he was born. And he almost did. But there no point, not today.

“I don’t know. I guess…I wanted to see what the infamous Magneto was like.” He said with a dry smile.

He vanished soon after that, leaving a confused but also interested Erik to stare into nothing. He just hoped there’d be less guests from now on.

***

The days went by with an uneasiness to them. Ororo kept to herself, sensing the distrust from most of the other team. Even Kurt found it difficult to find her at times and he knew all of the hiding spots in the campus. Jean tried her best to ease her anxieties but even she had to admit that she was uncomfortable with Psylocke being here with the children.

Elizabeth kept to herself as well and rarely left her room, something which most of the others were honestly grateful for. The idea of her mixing in with the children gave both Charles and Hank severe anxiety. But she only came out for food and even then, never actually spoke to anyone. The children grew to assume she was a distant relative of one of the staff members. Erik had also been recovering well. He no longer was tied to the damned bags of liquids as he had been for the last several days. He agreed to stay within the basement area as to avoid attention while they attempted to understood who attacked him. In the meantime, he was content to read his growing pile of books in solitude.

The dynamic put the Professor at ease, especially during the next parents and guardians day as it occurred. Thankfully, this one went about and finished without any issues. Well, aside from obnoxious parents and rude children. Ones that made the older students and the other guides want to toss in the lake. Charles had also noted that several parents took a very deep interest in the school facilities and the nature of the staff. Yoshida, Blaire and the others had been subject to considerably detailed questions. It was only when the Professor took a mild look into their minds did he understand why they were so interested. They were from the CIA, all of whom were busy making mental notes on everything they could. Still, Xavier didn’t sense any malice or ill intent from them. Just severe concern and paranoia as they went about trying to silently inspect all they could.

The days had allowed Scott to grow out of his mood, especially as he strolled through the mall in search of gift for Kurt’s upcoming birthday. Well, Kurt _thought_ it was his birthday soon. Being found in a forest made things relating to his age slightly confusing for the poor German. He noticed Raven question _why_ Kurt thought it was his birthday soon in great detail, much more so than the others. She seemed annoyed for some reason. Still, Scott was happy to work with the estimation Kurt’s foster parents offered him as he scanned the shops. He didn’t bother with the clothing stores. Kurt didn’t exactly seem focussed on current trends. Though, maybe he could use some more books? He was always reading but they were typically in German…

“Excuse me?”

Scott stopped in his tracks and turned. A tall, lean man with cropped brown hair and dark green eyes was staring at him curiously. He stood up from the bench he was sitting on and titled his head at the teen.

“Can I help you?”

“Are you…Are you a Summers?”

Unease shifted through the teen and he backed away a little, looking around carefully for a security guard.

“I, uh, I…”

“Oh, no. I’m not…Sorry, let me start again.” He said with an awkward laugh, “I’m Bill. I used to go to a school where an Alex Summers was a teacher. You look goddamn identical to him.” 

Scott’s heartbeat increased as he looked the man over. He certainly didn’t look like a threat. He was still holding his blue slushie by his side and wearing a simple green t-shirt with jeans. He wasn’t exactly Erik in terms of a fear factor.

“He, um, was my older brother.” Scott confirmed.

Bill quickly understood the use of past tense and his mouth gaped a little.

“I’m so sorry to hear that.” He said softly, “Please have my condolences. He was a fantastic teacher to us.”

“You went to Xavier’s?” Scott asked uneasily.

“Yeah.” He said with a shrug before smiling, “I saw the new ads, by the way. It’s great to see them actually being able to advertise. I was just…found by Xavier one day.” He chuckled and Scott smiled a little.

“Alex said the same thing. He didn’t really get to tell me much about the Professor, though. Not before I started.”

“Yeah, I was there when he was conscripted from the school.” Bill adopted a simply filthy look, “Stupid fucking war.” His face softened, “I had no idea he had a brother.”

Scott shifted on his feet.

“We didn’t really talk much. Didn’t get the time with teaching and Vietnam.”

Bill nodded knowingly and then stared at his almost finished slushie. He let out a humoured exhale.

“Well, I knew him for three years as a teacher. And I’ve finished my drink and could go for another. Wanna hear about how he set the grounds on fire once? Twice, actually.”

***

…nk shit himself.” Bill snorted, wiping traces of ice from the corner of his mouth as he continued, “It took the entire class to wipe away the soot and stains from that room.”

Scott chuckled softly as he leaned back in the stiff, cheap chair. The mall was beginning to close, allowing the eatery to slowly thin as they continued to talk for the past several hours. Scott had been uneasy at first, purposefully choosing to still near both mall security and an easy exit. But the man just _talked_ at length about Alex. He was one of the first students the Professor had ever actually taught and it was incredible to hear how the man had changed over the years. And how others hadn’t.

“Doctor McCoy is still…protective of his equipment.” Scott confirmed and Bill’s eyes widened.

“He still teaches?” Scott nodded, “Wow. He and Alex barely tolerated each other.” He laughed, “Who else teaches? Is Simon still there? Melody?”

“Nah, it’s mostly new guys now. As in very new.” Scott explained and Bill nodded, “Still a decent place though. I…It’s the first school I’ve liked, though we haven’t really started class.” He laughed and Bill chuckled.

“You won’t find a better school for people like us.” Bill agreed softly as he stared at his wrist, “Fuck. I need to split. Look,” He leaned forward across the table, “Alex really helped me through some heavy shit with my powers. I…I honestly don’t know if I’d still be here without him. That’s the type of man that your brother was. And…And if I can help you at all, please don’t hesitate to call.” He tossed Scott a business card, “Even if it’s just to talk about him. I’d consider it repaying my debt.”

Scott took the card quickly and examined it. William Rolfson. A project consultant for some community outreach project. Seemed like a very boring job to be honest.

“Thank you.” He said as he placed it in his pocket, “It’s…It’s been nice hearing about him. Doctor McCoy and the Professor don’t really talk about him a lot. Neither did mum or dad, actually. It’s cool to actually hear what he was like.”

Bill smiled at him as he stood up.

“He was a hell of guy. A bit like you, from what you’ve said today.” He smirked, “Toss me a call when you want to catch up again. Otherwise,” He gave the younger man a nod, “Have a good one and try to stay out of trouble, Summers.”

***

“There’s been no news on that front, either.” Moira added from her place beside Charles.

The Headmaster’s Office was currently occupied by the Professor, Hank, Raven, Scott and the CIA operative. As well as several cups of tea and some muffins that only Hank and Scott were eating. Moira’s appearance and mentioning of an update from her work immediately heralded yet another meeting. One which Scott and Raven both wanted to leave and do something entertaining instead.

“We’ve been reaching out to all other quieter teams and projects.” She continued, “At least, from the whispers I’ve heard. But everyone’s been resuming work as usual. No appearances from any radiation mutants. We’re still looking but we don’t even know where to begin anymore. Intelligence is miffed to say the least.”

“And Erik and Calliban were dead ends. And Cerebro still isn’t turning up anything. Probably thanks to the stolen helmet.” Hank sighed as he grabbed another muffin and Moira turned to Charles.

“You managed to reach Erik?”

A short, uncomfortable chuckle escaped the man.

“He is currently residing in the basement.”

Moira stared at him, a foul look overcoming her beautiful face. He shrugged a little as he attempted to plead.

“He was attacked by who we think was the same man that attacked your base. Very similar sounding powers.”

“We’ll discuss this later.” She said, leaving no room for rebuttal, “So, is this person just after Erik?”

“Probably.” Raven said with crossed arms, “Its not unlike the man to have others trying to kill him.”

“And you’re housing him? With children?” Moira asked in clear disgust.

“We could make a safehouse somewhere?” Scott suggested between bites, “That way, he’s not near us but we can still watch him.”

“Somewhere a few hundred miles away.” Hank agreed.

“I don’t think that will be necessary.” Xavier said softly, still in thought, “I’ve been reading Erik’s memories of the attack and something stands out to me. The assailant made a point about this being about justice. On behalf of all those Erik and Apocalypse had killed. And he didn’t kill anyone at the location Erik’s helmet was located. He only wanted the helmet and Erik. I don’t think this person is one for blind rage or harming others if it can be avoided.”

“Are you willing to bet students’ lives on that?” Raven asked and Charles went silent, not knowing how to answer.

No one said anything. The only formed sounds were those of two men enjoying their food.

“So…How’s my safehouse idea sound?” Scott asked in an attempt at breaking the increasingly uncomfortable silence.

“There’s a very good chance that the CIA will identify him the moment he leaves this building and will be taken in for questioning. As well as a long-delayed trial for the Nixon fiasco.”

“Is that so bad?” Hank murmured and Raven snorted.

Charles’ silence was broken as he looked towards the door. He frowned for a moment. Someone then knocked several times. It was a very quiet knock with very little force behind it. He nodded to Scott, who quickly swallowed his latest bite, and rushed to open it. Jamie offered the teen a sharkish grin as he stepped around him. He was wearing his usual green shirt with a triple circle pattern, the one Hank thought was horrid. He nodded to the women in the room before extending his arms out.

“My apologies for the interruption.”

“This is Jamie Madrox, one of our new teachers.” Charles explained to a confused Moira.

“Pleasure.” He winked, “Now, normally I’d respect hush-hush meetings. However, little Mary, the one that has amazing hearing that can work through entire buildings, heard a few very concerning terms and rushed towards me.” Scott and Hank stiffened but Charles was simply interested in listening to the man. “You’re looking for information on mutants. One that even the CIA can’t find. I know a group that has more information than anyone.” He chuckled nervously before grimacing, “I know the Morlocks.”

***

A/N: Hi all!

I hope you’ve been well and had good weeks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you have any thoughts or feedback, comments are always loved. Next chapter will introduce the Morlocks and what their relationship to the villain is. It will also feature more Jean, Jubilee and new teacher’s related stuff. So, hopefully you’re keen for that.

Thank you so much for the kudos, it’s great to get them. And thank you to all that have read this far. I really hope you’re enjoying this. Also, do you prefer longer or shorter chapters? If you have a preference, please let me know.

Have a fantastic week ahead and a great Valentine’s Day.


	7. The Morlocks Part 1

A low, highly sarcastic laugh left the beautiful blonde woman the moment she heard Jamie’s suggestion. She leaned back on her chair and rested the side of her face on her fist, scrutinising the man with her eyes. Hank turned to her and gestured for her to elaborate to the rest of the confused group.

“Erik was obsessed with attempting to either join and lead them or get them to just join him.” She explained, “The Morlocks are a bunch of mutants that live in the abandoned subway lines in NYC. Mutants that can’t really blend in like the rest of us.” She gestured to her false skin.

Charles hummed as he stroked his jawline. He had never heard of such an enclave. In all his searches for mutant communities, he had struggled to find anything even resembling an outright society or an organised structure. And they were so close to the mansion, as well. It was fascinating.

“Is there a reason why you have never mentioned these individuals before?” He asked as he turned to his foster sister.

“They’re not people friendly. But,” She gave a sideways glace to Jamie, “they’re well informed.”

“Very.” Jamie chuckled as he stepped closer to the group, “Mutant communities and hubs tend to whisper to each other. If _anyone_ knows about your…issue, it’ll be them.”

“Have you met them?” Hank asked Raven and she rolled her eyes.

“Twice. Erik, three times. And that was over a decade ago.”

“Which is why you’ll need a point of contact.” Jamie said confidently as he casually seated himself across from the Professor and next to Scott, “You’ll need a guide down there. I can help.”

“How have they survived down there for over a decade?” Moira asked in shock.

“Stealing shit, mostly.” Raven answered in a simple tone.

“How do you even know them?” Scott asked Jamie.

He shifted slightly and, for a moment, his usual cockiness faded. It soon reappeared but nearly everyone could tell it was forced this time. His tightened eyes were the giveaway.

“Before this school started up, mutants didn’t really have places to meet with others. To be able to connect.” He explained with an uncharacteristically dower expression, “I heard about them in my high school years and…found them. They weren’t exactly willin’ to let me stay but they were okay with the occasional visit. The _very_ occasional visit. But that was when Healer was in charge.”

“Was?” Raven asked as she suddenly took interest in the young man.

“Oh, yeah.” Jamie grimaced, “Callisto’s in charge now. She’s one of the newer members. A real hard bitch to deal with. She really doesn’t take to strangers. She barely allows outcast mutants to join their fray.”

“What are her powers?” Charles asked with a tilt of his head.

Jamie smirked.

“Her natural senses are heightened to an extreme level. Sight. Hearing. Even taste and touch.” He snickered before becoming serious once more, “You’ll need me.” He repeated, “I know enough of the guards to get us at least an audience with their council.”

Charles offered him a nod and turned to Hank. The lean man had his arms crossed as he thought over logistics of getting a team into the subway system without raising concerns with the students. Classes were about to begin again and new students were starting to arrive into their new lodgings already. Having a chunk of staff and students missing could raise questions. But it was also only for a night if they were lucky…

“We’ll talk it over.” Xavier began calmly, “After all, we’re just curious about a possible new student.”

“Yeah.” Jamie scoffed, “From what lil Mary heard, I doubt that. But that’s none of my business, frankly. Just don’t treat me like an idiot.” He said sternly, “I’ve gotten that enough.” He nodded politely to the group as he stood up, “Oh, and if you’re thinking of running off to the Morlocks, it may be worth letting the other teachers in on this. After all, we think this is a _school._ It’d be appreciated to know what we actually signed on for.” He said in an almost chastising tone.

Scott stood up and opened the door for him. Jamie winked at the student before strolling off elsewhere, leaving a mildly annoyed Raven to turn to the others.

“I actually agree with the swamy idiot. The staff need to know about your little X-Men project.”

Moira put her head in her hands. A loud sigh shifted through her fingers.

“They don’t _know_?” She groaned.

“I wanted to focus on the educational merits of the school, not the X-Men. At least when it came to hiring teaching staff.” Xavier reasoned but Scott uneasily cleared his throat.

“Sir, if students are running off on missions, the teachers will get suspicious. My old teachers used to think we were dealing drugs if we flaked a class.”

“We barely know them.” Hank countered in his usual meekness, “They could disagree with what we’re doing and…maybe even report us.”

“To the feds you invited in?” Raven asked with an overly sweet smile.

Moira put her hand on Charles’ own and squeezed it softly. She offered him a small smile.

“It’s going to be very difficult moving forward if they don’t know. If you want to juggle both the school and this…X idea, it may work better if they’re in tandem with each other.”

Charles squeezed her hand back and nodded slowly. A deep exhale was heard as turned to his papers. He didn’t perceive any issues with Shiro, Douglas or even Jamie. He had vetted them well. Alison and Gary were…more of a wild card in terms of trust.

***

Jean always believed she was good at multitasking. As a child, she would always be able to balance her multiple sets of homework as well as the few personal tasks she would allow herself. She often thanked her mental abilities for it, in fact. But as she tried to read school annual reports from decades ago whilst listening to an overly chatty Scott, she finally found her limits.

“I never knew.” Scott repeated from his comfy cushion by the library wall, “Apparently he was heaps into messing with Doctor McCoy. Like, he made a daily habit of it.”

Jean looked up and squeezed his hand, secretly hoping it would be even to placate him for a moment. While she was extremely happy that he had found someone who knew his brother, it was very difficult to read while he practically shouted.

“Seriously, I wish I knew when he was a teacher.”

“So…you met this guy where exactly?” Jubilee asked sceptically across from the couple.

She was on the other side of the table, a mess of college brochures and pamphlets spread before her. Many of them had crosses on them or little notes that were so messy not even Jean could read them. Her hair was messy from the amount of times she’d subconsciously pulled on it during the reading.

“The mall.” Scott said with a shrug, “He recognised my face and thought I looked like his old teacher.”

“Yeah…That’s not weird or anything, dude.” Peter said with a quick widening of his eyes as he read his own college collection.

His was far smaller but also kept in a tidier pile. The only notes he’d been making were a simple ‘ _Nope’_ or ‘ _Maybe’_. He looked just as low as the girl sitting next to him but she at least had her entire life in front of her. He was already in his mid-twenties and he was only just beginning to think about going to college. All his high school pals had already graduated and gotten jobs. And here he was reading about the application process. For the first time in his life, he actually felt _behind_ something. Suffice to say, he wasn’t in his usual speedy and mocking mood.

“All we did was just…chat about Alex.” Scott said defensively, “Nothing weird happened.”

Jubilee and Peter exchanged unconvinced looks but dropped the matter. Scott was difficult to engage with when he was in a stubborn mood like this. Jubilee opted for a different, easier topic.

“Found anything useful?” She asked Jean.

The redhead shook her head in annoyance.

“The only records in the library are things like school photos, enrolment lists.” She shrugged, “Nothing about powers.”

“Can’t imagine why a mutant school in the sixties may omit that.” Scott snorted and Jean glared at him.

“You seriously think this guy went to our school?” Peter asked, munching on an apple that appeared from nowhere.

“No.” Jean admitted, “I was just hoping there would be…I don’t really know.” She slumped so her head was on the table, “I just wanted to help. Maybe a clue about someone with similar powers?”

“Could always just ask the Professor or Doctor McCoy?” Jubilee suggested and Peter snickered.

“As if they’d tell students anything. They’d avoid the topic and just wipe your mind.”

“Is that school policy?”

Jean straightened once she saw a tall, skinny man in an overly sized business shirt peering over them. He gazed at the various flyers and books in front of them before seemingly growing bored and turning the texts behind them.

“Mr. Ramsey.” Scott said uncomfortably, “We were just joking, sir.”

Douglas turned to him, blinked several times in a rather slow fashion, and then smiled.

“Ah. I understand. I…can struggle with that. Why are you wearing glasses in doors? I was always told it is rude. I tried to wear them at my work with the U.N. because the lights were too bright but they didn’t let me. They said my face is too skinny for sunglasses, anyway. Made me look like a bar of soap.”

Jubilee’s mouth gaped slightly at the story and even Peter didn’t know what to make of the man’s rambling. Scott shifted so that he was directly facing the confused man.

“It helps me see. My powers…don’t let me take them off.”

“Ah.” Douglas acknowledged with a neutral nod, “Interesting. Now, do any of you know where a Kurt Wagner is? I was asked to see if he would be interested in learning to read English better. I also have no idea what Kurt looks like.” He paused, “It’s made the process difficult.”

“Blue.” Peter said whilst popping the ‘ _B’_ , “He’s… _blue.”_

Douglas stared at him with a completely blank face for a moment.

“Is that a joke or is he actually blue?”

“Kurt!” Scott shouted, earning a glare from the twelve-year-old student that was on library duty.

A puff of dark blue and black smoke appeared next to Jubilee, Peter and Douglas. The four students coughed and gasped desperately. Ramsey just stared at the appearing boy before him. He was fascinating. And actually blue. With a tail. And religious engravings on his skin. Of Catholic origin. Douglas leaned in to see how many of the symbols he could recognise, making the shy boy whimper and shuffle away.

“I am Douglas Ramsey, the languages teacher for Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.” Ramsey offered Kurt a hand, “I was prompted and then asked to offer English reading lessons.”

Kurt frowned awkwardly, not really knowing what to make of the odd man or his offer. Scott, growing uncomfortable at the increasing silence, turned to his friend.

“Where have you been? No one’s seen you all day.”

Nightcrawler smiled shyly and held up a novel. _The War of the Worlds_. It was in English, too. A fact that made Douglas grunt softly.

“Can you read this? Can you read this _well_? We can use this as our core text?” He offered, asking the questions in the span of five seconds.

Kurt opened and closed his mouth several times, not knowing if this was an American styled prank of some sorts. He heard from Scott that this teacher was different but he had yet to encounter his _enthusiasm._

 _“_ Vi can read vis, mostly.” He finished sheepishly, “Vi vould love some better lessons.”

“We can begin now.” Douglas said instantly and Kurt’s mouth gaped again at the rush.

“Sadly, that is not possible.” Shiro Yoshida called out, earning himself a glare from the small girl on library duty.

He mouthed an apology to her and nodded politely to the seated students. Scott received a smile. Yoshida then turned to his colleague with a more serious expression.

“We are to meet with the Headmaster immediately.”

“What has Alison Blaire done?” Douglas asked automatically and Scott suddenly looked insulted at the accusation.

He was still waiting for the right time to ask her to sign his records.

“Nothing that I am aware of. But she is also waiting in his office with Jamie Madrox and Gary Bueller.”

“Gary?” Kurt asked and Peter rolled his eyes.

“Kids teacher. Human minority hire.”

“Peter!” Jean exclaimed and Peter shrugged.

“I’m telling you, he was hired due to a government mandate that isn’t public yet. All mutant schools will have it.”

“You need to stop listening to that mutant conspiracy station.” Jean reprimanded firmly and Douglas turned to the silver haired man.

“Do you listen to _Kimmy and the Dingo_ as well?” Douglas asked Peter and the other man grinned slowly with a nod.

“Please have a good rest of the afternoon.” Yoshida interrupted, giving them a short bow before leading the taller teacher with him towards Xavier’s office before he could continue further.

Gary, Jamie and Alison were already seated by the time they had arrived. Hank, the Professor and a blonde lady that Shiro had seen intermittently were also already present. Douglas nodded to each of them exactly twice before taking a spare seat beside Alison. He immediately busied himself with scanning the room for anything engaging or any written words or titles of interest to the man. Shiro sat straight as he took his position on the far side of Douglas.

Charles cleared his throat and offered them a polite smile.

“Thank you for coming and for putting such work in preparing for classes to begin.”

“It’s just our mission.” Alison slurred, “We’re here to teach an-”

“If I may,” Xavier injected, “I’d like to cut to the point.” He said and Alison’s cheeks flushed, “We need to address some elements of the school that have yet to be made public. We are a school for mutant children. But,” His expression became mixed, “that is not the only purpose for this place. Hank, Raven and I have been helping both mutants and humans since the sixties, from forces that would harm them.” Jamie raised a brow but said nothing, “We were the group responsible for preventing Sebastian Shaw from starting World War Three in Cuba in the sixties. And we…were the ones who stopped Magneto from killing the President that day in Washington last decade. And we stopped Apocalypse several months ago. We…We use our gifts to help those that cannot help themselves. Especially from powers they cannot contend with. Naturally, given the nature of this school and the children here, we were concerned… _I_ was concerned about trusting you with this information. But you have a right to know if you are to be working here. And I honestly apologise for the deception.”

Jamie let out a faint grunt at the information. Douglas listened closely but swiftly resumed his consistent visual sweeping of the office. Alison and Shiro were silent as they mulled over the information. Gary just looked confused.

“If I call bullshit on-”

Before Jamie could finish, Raven’s pale white skin began to peel away into a dark blue hue. Her blonde hair erupted into a bright red colour and her eyes shined yellow. Raven was gone. A very famous person was now in front of them. One that had made mutant history a decade ago. Jamie immediately stood up, a grin on his face.

“The hero! From the news. The mutant icon. It’s…It’s actually you!”

Alison let out an astonished gasp, her usual slouchy posture replaced by an energetic bouncing. Douglas’ eye twitched as he muttered something to himself at incredible speed. Shiro was passive, as usual. His attention remained on Xavier.

“Am I correct in assuming that the group of mutants that assisted in these events were students?”

“Sometimes.” Hank said carefully, “Only during Cairo. The other occasions it was Charles and I, and a few others that were here at the time.”

“May I ask where they are now?” He pressed.

Charles’ eyes lowered.

“Some have left us. Others…Others were hunted down before mutants were revealed to the world. And some were killed by Apocalypse.”

“Wait.” Jamie slowly lost his manic grin, “You send kids on missions where they could be killed?”

“Actually, they came after us.” Hank explained, “We were captured by the military when Apocalypse had kidnapped the Professor and several of them came and broke us out of a military base. And then they went to Egypt to stop Apocalypse before he ruined the world.”

“I’m missing so much context.” Gary mumbled and Alison nodded.

“We train them in their powers to help others in need. They requested it. And together, they stopped Apocalypse.” The Professor added in a sombre tone.

“They’re still teenagers!” Alison rebutted in disapproval, waving her hand about.

“That managed to defeat someone that was trying to rule the world and destroyed dozens of cities.” Shiro murmured and the others turned to him, “And you prevented the Sentinel Program from being approved and from Magneto alienating us from the humans. There are results to be noted.”

“By putting kids in danger?” Gary asked uneasily, “I get it. You guys have powers and stuff. But they’re still kids. Their main concerns should be girls or boys or getting into college or mayhem. Not surviving.”

“What a human response.” Raven sneered, “We used to be hunted by you.”

“Raven.” Charles warned but she continued.

“We were experimented on and killed. Treated like rats. We’re training them to survive _and_ to protect us. Including humans.”

“Is the school a front or do you have a dual business model?” Douglas asked as he hastily scratched his jaw in a similar fashion to a rabbit.

“We honestly want to provide children with a strong education and use this place as an example of co-existence between species.” Charles answered genuinely, “That is honestly why we hired you. We thought you should know the other half.”

***

“We should quit.” Alison said with conviction as she paced, “This place is like a spy squad from a movie or something. They’re training kids to be soldiers.”

The five teachers were huddled in a smaller office in the upper level. Charles had offered it to them to think over the information they had just been given. So far, it had delivered mixed feelings.

“This group has saved millions, if not billions.” Shiro countered from his chair and Alison’s cheeks flushed as the attractive man stared at her, “They killed a global tyrant. Do you doubt their abilities in light of that?”

Douglas hummed as he too paced.

“Good point. High chance of survival, given their abilities and previous successes. Between Ororo Munroe, Jean Grey and Peter Maximoff, they possess considerable amounts of power between them. And they are training the other students to use their powers regardless of if they are in the team or not. Yes. This place has benefits for mutants and humans. The latter by proving co-existence possibilities. This means more understanding, which leads to a less likely chance of open conflict.”

“They’re kids.” Jamie said in disgust as he leaned by the fireplace, “ _Kids._ ”

“Who are being taught their powers, Mr. Madrox.” Shiro said, “And are saving others by doing so.”

“By their own choice.” Douglas added, “We need to consider their opinions on this, as well.”

“They’re teenagers. Of course they want action and to save the world.” Alison laughed, “They don’t know any better. They could be being pressured into being something they’re not.”

“Like pretending to be under the influence of illegal substances?” Shiro offered with a soft smirk and Alison narrowed her eyes.

“Listen here, you arrogant dick. We’re talking about being teachers at a school for child soldiers. This is something that should be reported to the government.”

“If they don’t already know.” Gary mumbled meekly from his place near the door, “Who knows? The feds might be in on this, too, with all the speak of mutant rights groups and a say in government policy. They could be funding the team. Xavier is loaded as hell.”

“I know a radio station that you would love.” Douglas said with a smile, “They often say things like that. It is call-”

“Douglas, focus.” Alison chided, “I don’t know if I feel comfortable teaching at this place. What if a student dies?”

“And how many other students are they saving?” Shiro asked, “We must consider the benefits and negatives to all groups, not just these students.”

“This isn’t maths.” Jamie said coldly, “These are lives.”

“Or,” Shiro’s eyes hardened, “perhaps I know what it is like to be without those that can help me. Like they are helping people.”

“I fucking doubt that.”

Shiro rose to his feet just as Jamie slapped his chest. Two duplicates were formed by the time Shiro’s hand started glowing. Alison was between them before they could do anything.

“Christ. So much… _fucking ego_ between you two!” She shook her head as she did to her class, “Do we vote? We all came here together. It’s…kinda fair we decide together.”

“A reasonable suggestion.” Shiro said, his hand cooling.

“I vote we leave.” Alison started.

“We should stay and help these students when we can. Then they can help others. Many others.” Douglas added.

“We leave.” Gary sighed, “These are kids.”

“We stay and help those who need us.” Shiro said without breaking eye contact with Jamie, “And you?”

***

“He should be in custody.” Moira exclaimed as she followed Charles towards the lower medical station, “He is wanted in almost three quarters of the world. Most of them want him dead!”

“He helped us defeat that lunatic in Egypt.” Charles reasoned as they neared the door.

“Yeah,” She scoffed, “After he levelled half the major cities on a global scale for said lunatic.” Charles didn’t reply, “God, you are just obsessed with getting him to see your point of view.”

“Oh, I am not.”

“Should I be jealous?”

He laughed and pulled her hand in for a kiss.

“I should hope not.” He murmured as they entered the medical room.

Erik was looking much better. He could stand easily and didn’t look so pale or deathly. A stark contrast to the unconscious man found in South America. He’d even regained his passive glare, one which was currently being used on a shorter, blue woman. Raven abruptly cut herself off from whatever point she was making and turned to Charles. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see a taller woman with purple hair leaning near a medical cot.

“Catching up?” Charles asked sarcastically as he rolled deeper into the room.

“Just on recent events.” Erik said smoothly as he looked at Moira, “You look as impeccable as ever. And I see you’re still swept up in-”

“I really don’t have the patience for whatever vague threat you’re about to make.” Moira cut in, “Keep in mind most of the world still wants you dead.”

A soft snort made several eyes look at Psylocke before returning to Erik.

“So,” Charles began, “Anything we should know about the Morlocks?”

“I’m humbled you all seek my wisdom,” Erik hummed with a sanctimonious nod, “I fear my information is two decades out of date. Most of the members I knew are either dead or no longer on the council. They have six elected members, voted in by several hundred members. Though, an election rarely actually takes place.”

“Do not mention Calliban.” Psylocke said with a stiff tone, “He was a council member before he left to go to Germany and start his own group. He left when Callisto rose to power. Most of the older guard did.”

“Do you know her?” He asked both of them.

“By reputation.” Erik answered vaguely.

“We’ve met.” Psylocke confirmed, “Hard woman. Been through a lot. Believes she’s doing right by mutants, even if she does question things. Stubborn. She can be irrational at times.”

“So Erik with tits.” Raven surmised and Psylocke nodded.

“How quant.” Erik murmured, “Given you helped me, I should perhaps offer you this piece of information. She apparently knows about the various teams you’ve had over the decades, Charles. All of your good works. Your dreams of a united world for humans and mutants. And she hates you.”

Charles and Moira frowned. Raven crossed her arms as she stared at him.

“Oh really?”

“Rumours are just rumours. But she doesn’t like showiness and the superhero persona you so easily adopt.” Charles’ teeth grinded against one another, “Just something worth noting.”

“Anything else?” Charles said with a deep exhale.

He didn’t even know this woman and she hated him for striving towards peace?

“When are we leaving?”

“Excuse me?”

Erik shrugged and offered his own confused expression. It was almost that of an innocent child if it wasn’t so mocking and given by a mass murderer.

“You need all the help you can get. The Morlocks are not Calliban’s little band.” He noticed Psylocke straighten herself, “Your precious X-Men could die without more help.”

“You’re wanted by most of the world.” Moira tattered with a wave of her hand, “The States in particular. You’ll be exposing yourself and Charles for hiding you.”

“Not if we go through the sewers and tunnels.” He suggested.

“It’s miles until we reach the city. Are we meant to walk underground for hours?” Raven asked.

“Have the blue boy teleport me in from a car. How would anyone see me?” He challenged but Charles was already leaving, his mind now focussed on this Callisto woman.

“Rest easy, old friend.”

“Charles…” Erik spat but the door was already shut.

The magnetic mutant was left to seethe with Psylocke and Raven, both of whom promptly left. Psylocke offered him a mocking raise of the brows as she sauntered off. Erik found himself bristling. They would be walking into the home of _hundreds_ of outcast mutants. Even Charles’ precious children couldn’t content with that. He eyed the walls of the medical lab as they seemed to be closer than before. He’d been in here too long, anyway. His gazed turned to the drips attached to his arms. He was almost completely recovered. _Almost._ But…He could stretch his legs for an evening.

***

“…eep your cool. I’m serious.” Jean scolded and Scott nodded in an exasperated manner.

“I’ll be as cool as a cucumber.” He said as he finished putting on his boots.

“Scott.” She warned, eyeing around the locker room for anything to throw at him.

He was so…ugh, sometimes. Even since his concussion, he’d be avoiding the topic about his temper. He always just changed the topic or denied it. And that method _always_ resolved issues. She shook her head and made a note to keep an eye on him as she finished tying her hair back. With a smile, she took his hand and led him to towards the elevator nearest to the garage. They were taking two school vans to the location Jamie had mentioned. One that was the nearest entrance to the Morlock base. Because having two school vans in the middle of the city in the middle of the evening was not suspicious. Jean hissed silently. She didn’t appreciate Mr. Madrox or Doctor McCoy’s planning skills on this occasion.

The garage was already full of the rest of the members, as well as Jamie. Whereas everyone was wearing their jumpsuits and armour, Jamie had settled with a simple black leather jacket and his usual three yellow circled shirt. He gave a short wave to the pair as they neared. He looked uncomfortable and uneasy for some reason. His usual bravado had turned surprisingly serious and stern as he looked at the young men and women. The Professor acknowledged them with a nod.

“Remember. This is merely a recon and possible communication mission. We just want to know if they have any answers. And…if possible…to see if we can build a stronger form of communication or relationship for the future. I’ll be by Cerebro in case of an emergency.” He turned to Scott, “Remember. We do not allow ourselves to be baited.” Scott’s jaw tightened but he didn’t say anything, “Good luck, everyone. And come home safe.”

Quicksilver nudged Nightcrawler as they prepared to enter differing vans. A safety precaution, Charles had said, given they could both get a van’s population out in relatively quick speeds.

“Glad we’re finally allowed out?” 

Kurt didn’t say anything. He just offered a nervous, fanged smile. Peter chuckled and he disappeared into the nearest van, sitting in the back. Jean and Scott shuffled in next to him as Raven took the driver’s seat. Ororo and Kurt entered the remaining van, with Hank driving and Jamie sitting next to him. Ororo had stared at the van for a moment, before seemingly dragging herself in. Her face was strained and she was breathing deeply as they headed down the empty night road.

The drive was silent, filled with the nervousness that preceded any mission. Even Peter, who was excited as anything to finally leave the house, was silent as he contemplated what he could be running into. Both figuratively and literally. Jean smiled to Scott and he offered his own, albeit it was less genuine. After his stuff up on the last mission, he was hesitant to step back in the ring. Especially if he disappointed the team again. He was meant to be leader figure, not an embarrassment.

“Thank you for this.” Hank murmured to Jamie.

The man was leaning on his arm, zoning out as he stared onto oncoming lights.

“This is meant to be for a good cause.” He replied while chewing his tongue, “I just don’t want any kids to die.”

“You think any of us do?” Hank replied but he didn’t get an answer.

Jamie simply busied himself staring at the lights as they came. Nothing else was said for most of the drive. The only interruption was when Hank had to suddenly brake as a speeding bike pulled out in front of him. Jamie hissed as he braced himself in an overly dramatic way. Hank frowned at him.

“We’re safe.”

“Less knocking, please.” Jamie requested through gritted teeth, “Force makes me duplicate.”

“So you really can’t control it?”

“No.” Jamie growled as he slowly allowed himself to relax, “I can’t.”

Hank continued driving for a moment before turning back to him.

“I could see if I can make something to absorb the kinetic energy you come into contact with. It might minimise you multiplying.”

Jamie shifted slightly as he tried to relax again.

“Yeah? You wanna get me one of those sick suits?” He said with a quiet, almost tired laugh.

“Probably not.” Hank admitted, “But we’ll see.”

That was the last thing said in either van until they reached the edge of New York City. Jean, Scott, Peter and Raven were too busy with their own thoughts to bother striking up conservation with each other. As they pulled over by an old pizza shop, Peter stepped out first. Using his sense of time and speed, he looked around a seemingly frozen world. The tunnel Jamie had advised them about was a simple manhole in a back alley. He wrinkled his nose as he opened it and went about _carefully_ placing various members down the hole. It was dark, circular tunnel that smelled horrific. As the others realised where they were, they gagged and tried to cover their noses. Ororo looked around frantically, her eyes wide. Kurt nudged her.

“Vot iz vong?”

“I do not like…small spaces.” She whispered to him, her eyes almost desperate, “But…I will remain focussed.”

“Vou vill be fine.” Kurt said with a smile, “Vi am here.”

Peter pushed past him as he avoided Hank dropping in next to them. He glared at Peter.

“Thanks for turning off the cars and locking the doors.” He said, giving the younger man a critical look.

Peter scratched the back of his head, his cheeks turning red. Raven passed around torches and turned to Jamie. There were three of copies of the man, thanks to Peter’s touch. He reformed into one whilst glaring at the man. He bucked his head to the side and silently marched on, leading them through the small, seemingly eternal corridor. The walk was silent, with Jamie at the helm and Nightcrawler and Beast at the back. Scott was holding onto Jean’s arm. His vizors did him no visual favours in this amount of darkness. She carefully led him as she sensed Jamie’s emotions pouring out from him. He was nervous and even scared for some reason.

“What’s wrong?” She whispered to him.

“Nothing, darl.” He said back swiftly, “Just…watch yourself.”

“We know what we’re doing.” Scott said and Jamie shook his head.

“Are you sure about that? When I was your age, I was worrying about getting laid. Not this type of stuff.”

“If it helps people, I do worry about this stuff.” Scott said and Jean squeezed him proudly.

“You honestly think that?” Jamie asked, stopping for a moment before resuming, “It’s a few more minutes up here.” He said louder, “Just shut up and let me talk my way in.”

Raven nodded and continued letting him take lead. It was only about another five minutes until he came to an abrupt hold. There was a barred gate that separated sections of the sewers. A set of large, yellow lights were turned on, making it far easier to see. It also made the thick red substances on the bars much more visible. Jamie stared at the mass for a moment before looking at the ground, where two men were lying. He was by their sides a second later, his face scrunched up in shock and pain. He knew them. One of them, a man with stone-like skin, was one of the first Morlocks to actually let him into the makeshift city years earlier.

“I’m sorry.” Hank said softly as Jamie inspected the men.

Nightcrawler closed his eyes, murmuring a soft prayer.

“Fuck.” He spat, “Declan…He was a good guy. Fuck.” He sighed, shaking his head as he continued his inspections, “We need to get out. It’s fucking Marrow.”

He pulled out a knife from one of the body. But, as Hank looked at it, he quickly understood it wasn’t a knife at all. It was a _bone._ A long, sharpened bone. Jamie stood up and stared at the others.

“We need to leave. Now. Marrow…She ain’t worth sticking around for.”

“Who is she?” Scott asked and Jamie gave him what appeared to be a look of horror.

“She’s mad. She…She has anger issues. She’s always been vying for Callisto’s spot. She hates the woman.”

“Enough to kill.” Raven murmured, “We’re leaving. We won’t risk it.”

They turned to leave but saw the walls of sewer behind them. But, it should have been an open section of the sewer, Jean noted. Perhaps an illusion? Jean reached out and tentatively touched it. It was real. They were blocked in, with only the gated entrance and a small side tunnel left to walk. She turned to the others with a gaped mouth.

“That’s really a wall and I can’t sense anyone nearby. There’s no mutants near us.”

“And I don’t know any Morlock that can do that.” Jamie added, “We’re out of depth, now.”

Raven took a moment to assess the situation. She turned to Peter and Kurt.

“Find the nearest manhole. Come back _immediately._ Cyclops, Storm, guard either side. Phoenix, scan anything you can with your mind. Beast, you and I see if we can open this gate.”

“When can I get a codename?” Jamie mumbled to himself, trying to distract himself from his nerves.

Quicksilver disappeared down the small side tunnel, Nightcrawler right behind him. There was nothing but darkness and the occasional wall lamp. However, as he ran to a series of electrical panels, Peter groaned. His stomach clenched as he felt incredibly nauseous. Enough to make him lose his footing and slip. His speed launched him rolling into a series of oil drums and he gasped loudly in pain. He pulled himself only to immediately vomit in the corner. After a moment, he looked by the panels. Standing near a gate similar to the previous one was a tall, dark skinned man with quills for hair. He glared at the X-Man and Quicksilver immediately felt the need to vomit again.

A gasp left the spiked man. He was suddenly pressed into the wall with a hand to his neck. And a set of raging eyes digging into his own.

“You back off and so do I.” Quicksilver offered, his body trembling. 

The man nodded quickly and Peter let him go. The man opened him mouth but saw a figure appearing behind the silver haired man. He smirked until a puff of blue smoke made his target disappear. The large, scaly woman from the shadows shared a baffled look with the quilled man. Their target had disappeared.

Nightcrawler froze as he stared in front of them. He nudged the gagging man beside him and pointed a thick finger in front of them.

“Vere…Vhy is vere a wall vere?” He asked.

Their exit was blocked, replaced by a new wall. Peter stepped back in concern and hastily looked around, seeing only one exit to take. There was now only one way forward and that was behind them.

“Dude…We’re being fucked with here.”

“Language.”

***

Erik took several moments to reach out with his powers and sense all he could. Judging by the location of Charles’ wheelchair, he was near Cerebro. He was _busy_. No doubt minding his children. Erik took his moment. Carefully pulling out his tubes, he opened the door to the medical lab and swiftly and silently found the elevator doors Charles had previously shown him months ago. It took him to the outer grounds. He would need to be fast and to be _high_ to avoid the motion sensors he helped install when rebuilding the school with Jean Grey.

The grounds were silent in the evening. Even in the pitch black of night, this place was beautiful. Charles truly did have a lucky life when he was raised. A truly privileged one. He looked around the edge of the campus, feeling to ensure there were no cameras. There was none. But there was an odd metallic structure near him. Several metres away.

Rotating slightly further, he could make out the form of a teenage staring at him in the blackness of night. The silhouette looked unhuman for a moment until Erik realised he was wearing an odd brace around his neck and head. The metallic structure was wrapped in padding.

They were both silent for a moment, trying to work out what the other was doing.

“You should be asleep.” Erik whispered.

“I d-d-don’t sl-l-leep well.” The boy replied nervously.

Erik took a careful step forward and gestured to the brace.

“What sport were you playing when you caused that?”

A strained laugh came out.

“I d-d-don’t pl-l-lay.” He stuttered with a noticeably Greek accent, “Powers…d-d-do this.”

Erik took another step forward. He was admittedly curious now.

“And what are they?”

“I…I sh…” He closed his eyes and seemed to mutter something to himself, “I…shake…things. I…make…the ground…sh-sh…shake.”

“And the brace?”

“V-V…Vert…Vertigo.” Was the stammered reply.

Erik took another step forward. The teenager had cropped brown hair, olive skin, torn clothing and a rather scrawny appearance. To Erik’s surprise, he didn’t back away.

“I’m sure you won’t need the brace forever. All powers take time to master. Just look at your…glasses loving friend.”

The boy laughed again before suddenly looking nauseous.

“I wish…mine…would…h-h-hurry up.” He admitted with frustration, “Why are you h-here? I s-s-saw you l-leave after…rebuilding the school.”

“Revisiting an old friend.” Erik replied, “And I need to go help yours for a moment. You should go rest…” Erik paused, “What is your name?”

“Dom…” He closed his eyes in frustration.

“Take your time.”

“Dom…Domin…Dominikos.”

“Erik. You can call me Magneto. And what can I call you?”

“Dom...Do-”

“You have powers, don’t you?” Erik dismissed, “What do I call you?”

Dominikos took a moment to think, idly touching his brace as he thought.

“Av…Aval…Avalanche.” His cheeks warmed, “I…I always…wanted that…nickname.”

“And then you shall have it, Avalanche.” Erik said with a nod before looking stern, “Now bed. Before I summon the Professor.”

Dominikos stammered something that sounded like an apology before scamping off towards the main building. Erik watched him to ensure he actually entered the home before immediately looking to the air and pulling his body upwards.

***

Jean could sense their panic but not their location. It was as if she had a mental blindfold on and she could only hear thoughts and not sense them, per say. She sighed and turned to Scott.

“Something’s off. I can’t sense their location.”

“Telepath?” He asked nervously and she shrugged, honestly having no idea.

Beast grunted as he ripped the gate open, hurling down the causeway. Raven turned to Jamie.

“Stay with them. I’ll go after the others.”

“Should we split up more?” Ororo questioned, “This may be a trap.”

“It is.” Jamie mumbled to himself, “Something’s happening tonight and we need to leave. I’ll send a cop…”

Just as he spoke, a shadow moved. A literal shadow. It pulled itself off the wall and formed a three dimensional shape that towered over even Hank.

“We want to talk.” Scott said as he held his hands up.

“We want to talk to either Marrow or Callisto.” Jamie said carefully as he took a step forward.

“Not an option.”

The lighting in the room became increasingly better as a burning figure wrapped in black tone stepped towards them. Jean covered her mouth as the naked, flaming skeleton approached.

“You shouldn’t have stepped on our territory.” He warned, his gravelly voice sounding like roaring flames in a furnace.

“We just wanted some an…”

Hank stopped talking once he noticed the room had once again shifted. He, Raven and Jean were in a similar room, but the walls had once again shifted. And he had no idea where the others were. Jean reached out and could sense them all but again, she had no sense of distance. It was only the three of them…and the burning man. Raven took a step forward, her hand raised before her.

“We have no idea what is going on tonight. We just want answers.”

The burning skull clicked an invisible tongue and shook his head. He extended his arms beside him.

“Marrow doesn’t like intruders.” He paused, eying the blue woman, “But…you do look familiar.” It clicked and he sighed, his skull lowering in what appeared to be shame, “I want you to know, I have no grudge against you. Marrow just…We can’t let insiders anymore. I’m…I’m sorry, hero.”

And with that, three balls of flame were hurled at the trio. They managed to avoid the blasts and Hank immediately roared as blue fur coated his skin, red trails flowing down his lip as his teeth were replaced by fangs. Jean tried to mentally reach out to the man but felt blocked. It was then she knew without any doubt there was a telepath or someone similar nearby. A very powerful one. Using her telekinesis, she tossed several molten orbs away from Beast as he jumped to the ceiling and latched his hind paws into the shoulders of the man. With a pained shout, he rolled forward onto the ground, hurling the man into a wall with tremendous force. The loud smack made the corpse-like being shout breathlessly. Beast stared at his paws. They were burnt raw from the flames. Mystique withdrew her baton and sidestepped the man, easily sliding under the dazed man’s attempt at a punch. Phoenix held him still as Mystique collided the steel of her baton into the skull of her foe. The metal snapped and she feel to knees. Gritting her teeth as she held the man, Phoenix felt something in her mind. A whisper. A childish giggle. A baby crying. Hundreds of sounds from children poured into her mind as if they were a wave in a storm. She closed her eyes and gasped. And then she opened them.

In front of her was a series of small children, wearing torn, old and heavily stained clothing. Their cheeks were soddened with tears. The others were nowhere to be seen. The children took a step towards her. Their eyes tightened with rage as they shouted like beasts. They launched themselves at the older girl, their teeth becoming daggers seeking her flesh. With a panicked scream, Jean slammed her hands forwards and pushed them back with a telekinetic pulse. They were gone. The room was empty. Only filled with Beast, Mystique and the burning man sprawled on the damp floor. She looked around, her eyes wide with terror.

***

The shadow snorted as they watched beam after beam of red energy shoot straight through it and knock a hole into the wall behind it. Crossing their arms, they tattered.

“This isn’t going to work,” A masculine voice mocked, “Kneel. Just…kneel.”

Storm scoffed at the request and waved a hand above the other. A small tunnel of wind formed between them, one that gained a ferocious speed as it was unleashed upon the haunted mutant. The airflow wrapped and distorted the shadowy man’s form for a moment but it instantly crawled along the ground and reformed at the back of the room. Cyclops took aim beside the mutant and blasted the wall, hoping the force would be enough to knock them down. The plan failed and the figure simply stood as shards of brick and stone flew in and out of their body. Jamie was motionless, too shocked to move.

“Last chance.” The being whispered, “ _Kneel._ ”

Storm turned to Cyclops and he returned her hopeful look with a neutral gaze. They couldn’t win by force. They all knew that. They needed to find Jean. Or the Professor. And that meant they needed time. Scott nodded to Ororo as he motioned to his temple and she quickly understood the message. She hissed as her fingertips poured several streaks of white and purple towards the shadows. Cyclops tried to mentally call the Professor, hoping he’d be using Cerebro by now. But he only felt a minor headache as a pressure formed in his head. Something unnatural was creeping into his mind as terror flooded his system. He instantly refocussed on the scene ahead.

The bright light of the lightning was having an effect on the being before them. With each pulse of light, the figure warped and shifted into new shapes and positions as it hissed and growled and snapped its invisible jaw. Storm’s forehead was gaining sweat as she continuously unleashed her assault but even Scott could see she was swiftly learning juice. She was nowhere near the skies, either. She couldn’t summon more lightning if she needed to. Grunting, Cyclops took his chance as well. He tried to target the distorting figure and hit it while they were weakened. But the speed of the shifts hindered him greatly. He only made one in a few shots. Not to do any real harm as the beams still slid through the being.

It only took another few minutes for Storm to run out of lightning. Panting, she quickly took a defensive pose as she prepared to summon a gush of wind to at least slow the figure. The being was limping towards them.

No more was it taller than even Beast. The light had made it a weak, crippled creature that was mainly shadowy bone and mist pouring off them. A foul snarl echoed through the room as it quickly but lamely appeared before Cyclops. He reached for his vizor but a thunderous knock to his ribs and temple made him fall to his knees. A rush of wind knocked the figure backwards several feel and Cyclops took another shot at the creature. The being was finally corporeal. The beam actually _knocked it backwards._ But it was only another foot or so. Not enough to stop it from crawling on the ground as a slender shadow and reappearing between. Not enough to stop it from savagely slamming Storm into a wall and making her vision blurry. And not enough to stop it from hurling Cyclops’ face downwards into the hard floor.

But the shadow was solid once more. A fact that was realised as several hands grabbed the being’s arms, neck and legs. Jamie watched from afar as his clones began ruthlessly beating and punching and kicking the creature. It collapsed to its hands and knees as Jamie watched it with disapproval and clear discomfort. He’d never used his powers like this. Not once. And even as he watched a clone collide his hand with a misty cheek to knock the being down once and for all, he was uncertain of himself. But the others were safe and he could take comfort in that. He walked over to them but gasped as the room changed before his very eyes. His mental connection to his clones faded as he appeared in an entirely new area. An alleyway. One that was empty except for a small, baby British bulldog.

“What the fuck are you?”

***

Nightcrawler shook his head again as he stared at the single pathway ahead.

“Vis iz a trap.”

“Oh, really?” Quicksilver quipped sarcastically, “We ain’t got a choice, man.” He sighed, licking his dry lips, “You got my back?” The blue teen nodded nervously, “Good. I got yours. Let’s go.”

They walked at human speed down the damp corridor. The sound of water dripping to the harsh ground echoed wherever they went. The only light sources were old, yellow lights hammered into the concrete walls. It was cold, it smelt and something was unnatural here. Nightcrawler could _feel_ it. His tail slashed about nervous behind them and his ears were twitching as he tried to hear anything. It was silent except for their hesitant movements. He hated this. He preferred Cairo to this. At least then he could see his foes and demons.

They entered an open area where a stream of clean water was being processed into a turbine in the wall. The loud chopping sound vibrated the stone beneath their feet. Quicksilver, feeling his stomach tighten, put his goggles back on. Standing above them, cockily strutting on a rail, was a gorgeous blonde woman wearing a purple jacket and a silver, shiny scarf.

“On your knees and hands in front of you.” She requested in what sounded like a Manhattan accent.

“Look, we just wanna chat.” Quicksilver said with a sigh as he put his hands on his hips, “We no wantie fightie.”

The woman held the back of her hand to her mouth as she laughed. She reminded Nightcrawler of some important opera singer type. She titled her head and tattered.

“Boys.” She sighed, “You’re gonna need to follow me to the ‘ _t’_ here. On your knees, hands in front of you.”

The X-Men exchanged looks.

“Ve don’t know vou. Ve vill need trust.”

The lady rolled her eyes and her hand tightened into a fist. A yellow sphere of pulsing energy flowed around her knuckles and fingers. Nightcrawler growled as he guessed what was about to happen. Quicksilver, wanting this to already be over with, raced towards her. But he didn’t make it very far. Something grabbed onto his feet and forced him onto his face. He managed to catch himself before he fell and looked down. The ground around them was saturated in a thick, sticky substance. A nervous chuckle flowed through the room. Hiding near the turbine was a hunched over man, scrawny with a shadow of facial hair. His scarred face was mostly hidden in an oversized beanie. His hands were dripping with thick, clear residue. 

Nightcrawler stared at his feet and noticed they were clean. As was the area around the lady before him. He was silent and motionless, trying to plan an effective strategy.

“Sweetie.” The woman cooed, “You look nervous. Why don’t you just sit down and we’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you.”

“Danke.” He said but he soon vanished in smoke.

As did Quicksilver. They appeared at the end of the room but Nightcrawler gasped. The tunnel was gone. This made no sense. It was there. He knew it was there as it had been a few minutes ago. This wasn’t natural at all. He turned to see Quicksilver grimacing as he stared at his sticky shoes. He could move but not well.

“Vi have an idea.” Kurt said quickly, watching as the lady beckoned the other man, “Vi send you to the top, vi handle ve man.”

“I fight the hot chick while you fight the slug?” Quicksilver took a moment to think and shrugged, “I’ll take the sacrifice. Let’s go.”

Quicksilver’s surroundings suddenly changed as a very beautiful woman was now metres beside him. She spun around, her mouth quivering in surprise, and he waved at her. He walked towards her, watching her suddenly frozen body. She really was cute, even if she was at least a decade older than him. He reached out to touch her shoulder but was violently pushed back into rails behind him. He heard a melodious laugh as time flowed normally. Her body had a stunning yellow hue to it. She smirked as she gestured for him to come with her two fingers.

“Try to touch. _Try it.”_

“Shit.” He mumbled.

He ran at her again easily sliding under her extended arm. With a shaking finger, he experimentally touched her back. He flew back into the wooden back behind him. It was a painful burning in his entire arm. She laughed again and tattered. With a grunt, he forced himself up and grabbed part of the broken wooden box behind him. He _very_ carefully poked her with it. The wood shattered in his hand. Time was still frozen as he looked down. The floors were coated in the adhesive but the walls weren’t. He ran horizontally along them as he looked for something to trap the woman in or something to get her to back off with. Another piece of wood. A spanner lying on the ground. A shoe. All items just broke violently whenever they touched her. He sighed as he put his head in his hands. She’d barely moved an inch yet she was a complete nuisance. He sighed as he tried to think. And then he simply looked to his left. A stream of water.

“Huh.” He said as he suddenly pieced together a rather simple plan.

One that would need Nightcrawler. A mutant that was now _missing_. The sticky mutant was still in sight but he was simply slowly moving towards Quicksilver’s original position. Where the hell was Kurt?

***

Kurt wiped a hand through his damp hair as he looked around. He teleported, aiming to be only a few metres away. And now he found himself in an entirely different room. A cold, small study. An extinguished fireplace was near him, with torn and ripped books placed above it. Chairs and a table that were violently dismantled were around him. And he was alone. He teleported again, trying to remember his last location clearly. But he repetitively reappeared where he was. Over and over again, he was just in the same place time and time again. He murmured a soft prayer.

“Vat iz vis?!” He demanded, looking around the small room, “Show yourself!”

“ _Why?”_

He turned towards the German voice and saw a short, older woman with faded red hair. Her back was hunched and her finger was shaking as she pointed at him. His breathing increased until it became hard for him to focus or relax.

“ _You left me. You left us all. For Xavier.”_

“ _Get out of my mind!”_ He snapped, looking around the room with rage in his eyes, _“This is not your memory to toy with!”_

“ _You abandoned us._ ” He turned to her, his rage turning into pleading, “ _You left us, Kurt. We raised you and you left us.”_

_“I was taken. I had no choice. I needed to save lives.”_

_“Why didn’t you return? You’ve never returned.”_

_“I have…”_ He swallowed, “ _I have a different life.”_ He gritted his teeth, “ _One that is not to be mocked! Show yourself. Only a coward plays in the shadows._ ”

Silence. And then the room altered slightly. Only two things changed. The elderly lady vanished. Replaced by a tall, skinny man with a goatish beard and a fine, burgundy coat who was sitting on a fancy cushioned seat.

***

Xavier cursed to himself as he continued altering the settings on Cerebro. After the fifth time, Moira reached out and stopped his next attempt.

“What’s happening?”

“I don’t know.” He spat, leaning back and letting out a frustrated sigh, “Something or someone is there blocking me.”

“A telepath.”

“I don’t think so. Not quite.” Charles stared into nothingness as he thought, “But someone has some form of mental gift.”

“Powerful enough to block Cerebro? God…” Moira whispered, suddenly getting unpleasant memories of the last time she was in this machine and something similar occurred.

“No. No blocking. Redirecting.” Charles corrected, “Someone is sending me to different minds. Different locations. I’m blind.” He admitted with a foul tone, “I don’t do anything. I can’t even sense them.”

Moira took a moment to think. One of her immediate thoughts made her apprehensive. But, if they were desperate…

“We have…other mutants on hand, don’t we?” She suggested carefully.

Charles thought the idea over.

“Erik is too weak to leave and I honestly don’t trust him. Braddock…is Braddock but an option. Shiro and the others don’t have much combat training. We’re not that desperate. Not yet.”

Moira was silent as she watched Charles fiddle with the controls. It was useless. He couldn’t get any configuration to compensate for whatever was impacting him. With a hiss, he took off the bluely lit helmet and placed it on the console. He turned to her but froze. He mentally reached out to see where the remaining adults were but someone was missing. He turned to Moira as his face became even more grim.

“It looks like our medical patient has gone for a walk.” He said, suddenly reaching for the helmet once more.

***

A/N: Hi all!

I hope you’re all having a fantastic day! Thank you so much for the continued reading and kudos, it’s incredibly nice of you. If you ever have any thoughts or feedback, please let me know. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

This was originally meant to be much shorter but I thought there wasn’t enough story to find somewhere to split it in two. This will be the longest chapter, so don’t worry about that.

Next chapter will reveal who is messing with their minds and introduce Callisto and several other higher members of the Morlocks, as well as elaborate on how they know who attacked Erik. It’ll be more action driven, like this chapter.

Thank you so much for reading and have a fantastic week ahead.


	8. The Morlocks Part 2

Jamie wiped the sweat from his forehand as he leant over his knees, panting softly. As the mist followed his laboured breathing, he recounted how many times he’d run through the same poorly lit, foggy alleyway. Seven. Seven laps of an endlessly paved walkway that ended with the same road sign: A British bulldog puppy that yelped whenever he appeared or ran back into the fog. He stared at it from the corner of his eye. All it did was bark from its place on the brick piece. He straightened himself and sat beside it. It offered its standard yelp in response.

“If this is my hell,” He breathed heavily while staring at the surrounding mist, “honestly, not that bad. All things considered. Oh, shush. You must be in here for something, too. Hump too many legs?” The puppy tilted its head slightly and he nodded, wiping his jaw, “Fine. Keep your sins secret. At any rate, I’m fucked.”

He had no idea how long he’d even been in here. Nor did he know how long it took to complete a lap. Everything was just the same smoky, damp air and the exact same bricks. The only source of light were the dark blue lamps high on top of the walls.

Jamie felt cold. Unusually cold. He could handle the cold far better than the heat. But not like this. The air felt heavy and the walls felt as if they were getting closer and closer. But he knew they weren’t. At least, he hoped so. He couldn’t multiply. Nor could he sense his other clones he’d made earlier. He was alone. Well, not entirely. But the bulldog rarely did anything. It just sat and watched in a silent judgement.

“Plan B? C?” He asked, almost desperately, “Christ. All this for wanting to…one up that fucking arrogant prick.”

In hindsight, offering to guide a team of paramilitary teenagers into a constantly unstable social cabal that had previously threatened death was not the greatest idea. Especially when the main motivation was bragging rights. Shiro would probably be out of here by now. He’d have burnt his way through a wall or something. But Jamie couldn’t and here he was. A frustrated sigh echoed down the passageway as he rose. He felt another lap would be better than stewing over his flawed vanity.

***

Nightcrawler’s daggered teeth shifted amongst themselves as he gritted his teeth. As he stared at the grinning man leisurely spread across a cushioned wooden chair, he knew he was out of his depth. He was not a fighter. He was no strategist. He was an acrobat. A performer. He knew little of understanding how to outwit an enemy. Especially one that that could play with minds.

The man slid so he was finally sitting upright, as opposed to on his side, and placed a finger and thumb to the side of his face. He was a vision of an Victorian Age aristocrat, but a cheap one at that. His dark hair was wavy but smoothed back and Kurt noticed he donned rather thick mutton chops to the sides. His burgundy coat was similar to that of many figures depicted in Renaissance art, but the shoulders were torn, as were several other areas. His cravat was covered in dirt and oil, mirroring the uncleanliness of his skin. He gave Nightcrawler a wide smile.

“Vot do vou vant?” The X-Man demanded, feeling halfway between terrified and angry.

“ _Would you prefer your birth language?”_ The man offered in a vaguely British accent.

_“I would prefer you let my friends and I go. You are playing with all of our minds, aren’t you?”_

The man shifted his hand side to side before resting it in his lap with his other hand. A hand that was wrapped tightly in bandages. He noticed Nightcrawler’s dark eyes staring at it and he pointed to his injury.

“ _A minor disagreement. Unlike the rest of the world, we have to sort out issues with less…decorum.”_

“ _Let us go from these games.”_

“ _Why?”_ The man asked simply, frowning as he did so.

“ _Why?”_

_“Yes. Why?”_

_“Do you have no guilt over using your powers like this?”_

_“To invading outsiders? No.”_ He shook his head, “ _I don’t.”_

Kurt paused and then a shadow of a smirk formed.

“ _You can understand my mind. My memories. Then you know my intent in being here. You know I am not here to invade anyone.”_

The man crossed his legs and made an odd sound at the back of his throat. The remark was not met well, it seemed.

_“Why did you never do back? To Germany. This…Xavier would have paid, no? Why not return to the circus?”_

Kurt’s jaw tightened once again and he mentally rehearsed several scriptures. He was not a slave to his anger. He was not over emotional. And he did not retaliate to words. The last time he’d done so, he’d burnt the wings of his forced opponent and made him resent Kurt for weeks to come.

 _“I have a greater purpose that needs me.”_ Nightcrawler said as he stepped forward, “ _I do not waste my powers, unlike so-”_

 _“I do not waste my talents on anyone!”_ The man erupted.

He stood up at once, his finger pointed threateningly at the blue teen. The room shifted. Walls cracked. Objects flickered in and out of existence. The amount of light continuously wanned.

“ _My powers are limitless! My mind, is limitless. I am even holding the mighty Charles Xavier at bay!”_ Kurt’s eyes widened at the comment, “ _None can challenge me. And I choose to use my powers where I see fit. Just as I have seen fit to play with your pathetic, ignorant, childish mind. I make anything I want a reality for people. I can-”_

 _“You only give falsehoods and deceit.”_ Kurt gestured to the cracking walls and phasing objects, “ _You cannot even make this room real.”_

The room solidified into the form it had originally taken. The light was bright now. Very bright. Nightcrawler winced as he tried to focus on the man prowling towards him.

“ _I have made so many realities for your friends. So man…”_

He suddenly stopped. His spiteful eyes dropped to the ground as he focussed on something. Confusion swept over very briefly. And then rage. He spat something in a language Kurt didn’t recognise and marched towards the other side of the room, his body becoming translucent as he did so. He soon disappeared, leaving a very confused Nightcrawler alone.

***

Jean took a moment to work out where she was and where the others were. Mystique and Beast were splayed on the harsh floor, their bodies twitching as they mumbled. As Jean took a step closer, she saw their eyes were closed. Something was wrong. Kneeling between them, she touched their foreheads. Her back tightened as her mind shifted through new images. The girl felt new sensations, emotions, memories. All of them entering her as fast as a blink. None of them made sense and it didn’t take Jean long to understand. Much like the children that had attacked her, the pair were expecting false events in their minds. Someone was toying with them all.

She was not as skilled or experienced as the Professor. She had not been using her abilities for decades. And for that reason alone, she was extremely reluctant to start playing with their heads and attempt to remove the false images. She could hurt them permanently. Cause severe mental issues. Remove entire parts of their minds. But did she have much choice? Her forehead dripped with cold sweat as she felt as if she were running out of time. She didn’t know what possible damage could occur if she hesitated. But she could also damage them if she _did_ act.

With shaky breath, she focussed on Beast’s mind. The usual stillness of his mind’s waters rippled and violently shook. Blurry images of red men with pointed tails, winged women and terrifying storms on beaches swirled adamantly into her mind. The air left her lungs as she felt the pointed tail impale her chest. Her body became numb as it was ripped into a tornado. Her nose wrinkled with the smell of burnt flesh as acid scorched her skin. And then the images abruptly faded, torn apart in fact. The imposter memories shattered under Jean’s own mental control. She leaned back, shaking on her spot beside her teacher. It was a false image. She was safe. Her body was not hurt.

Beast released an uneasy moan as he struggled to open his eyes. The first image he could make out was seeing Jean sitting beside him, leaning over to Mystique. She was shuddering and twitching, her eyes closed in deep concentration. All she could see were camps. Countless camps. Familiar faces. New faces. All strung up and dead for the world to see. After a moment, she opened her eyes. Her watery eyes.

Hank quickly reached out to her but she didn’t respond. It was only when Mystique sat up and turned to her, did the young girl say anything.

“Are…Are we all okay?” She whispered, trying to focus on the present.

“Thanks to you.” Beast said softly, “Are you alright?”

She nodded, not looking at either of them. She was still pondering the sight of the Professor’s eyeless head on a pike. The word ‘ _Mutant’_ was cut into it. Raven’s eyes were lowered as she, too, tried to come to terms with the vision. Fear and pain swiftly turned into anger and frustration. It was always easy for her to make that emotional transition. She was the first to stand, offering Jean her hand. Beast took his time standing as he first wrapped his burnt feet.

The three of them looked around, noticing two things in particular. The original tunnel was now present again. No longer was there a wall shutting them out. And Jamie, Cyclops and Storm were less than three metres away from them. The latter two were passed out on the ground and Storm had a cut on her head that was still bleeding. But Jamie was standing completely still, staring into the nothingness ahead of him. Jean tentatively walked over, waving a hand at the purely blinking man. Nothing. His mind was elsewhere.

Mystique scoffed, nodding to the two previously unnoticed occupants in the room. A skeletal man with dark skin and no hair, and a short, wiry young man with flowing black hair and pale skin. Neither of them looked familiar until Jean tentatively looked into their minds. She nodded to the skeletal man first.

“He calls himself Fever Pitch.” She pointed to the other, “Opsidian.”

“Obsidian?”

“ _Opsidian.”_ She repeated to Beast, “They’re on guard duty for…someone. I can’t get that far into their memories. Not while they’re unconscious.”

“ _What a child, then_.”

Phoenix stiffened as a flickering image came before her. It was a man. Then a woman. Then a cat. Then a mix of a wall and a television. She frowned as the shifting form in front of her spat and hissed at her in an almost childish manner. She noticed how silent the others were, only to see there were frozen just as Jamie was. A level of anger flooded her system at the sight of them staring blankly ahead.

“Let my friends go. Right now.” She said through gritted teeth and the being gasped and let out a snarl.

“You dare have the arrogance…But you are only a child, as well. It is expected.” The condescending nun flickered into a black and white detective with a cigarette, “The other was so similar to you. Eager to prove his strength over me. A foolish eagerness.”

Peter and Kurt.

“What have you done to them?” She asked, taking a step forward.

To her surprise, the flickering lion actually stepped back. The being noticed his own reaction and became even more ferocious. The robot swiped its hand to the side, as if trying to backhand the air in front of it, before continuing.

“I will not answer to such a pathetic telepathic girl.” The small child shook her head, “I am… _better._ I simply am. And for that reason, you will leave this place. Go. Leave while I still allow it.”

It took Jean only a moment to understand the sight before her. It was clearly an illusion of some sort. No one was in the room with her aside from the X-Men and the two Morlocks. But it wasn’t telepathy. Not in the same vein as herself or the Professor. No. It was just a simple projection, not a two way connection. Yes, perhaps some of the images were grabbed from her mind. But she very much doubted that the person could do much more than that. It was just a show.

She bucked a growing grin.

“Where are you?” She asked curiously, “I can sense you but not…not closely.” The flickering images slowed down slightly as the figure listened to her, “You must be able to project images a _long_ way to hit us.”

A smirk formed on the bearded man’s face.

“My mind is far superior to any other.” The soldier tapped his temple several times, “For that reason, call me _Mastermind_.”

A thick silence entered the room. Once that was ended by several soft, quiet chuckles. Jean’s small smile faded into a more respectful expression once she noticed the flaming demon hissing at her. She couldn’t help it. Everything about this once terrifying situation just screamed fraud. He was no telepath. And he clearly had severe insecurities, especially given his childish performance and choice of moniker.

The sudden easement was swiftly noticed by the figure. The woman charged towards Jean, her shaking hands sprung straight towards the young woman’s throat. And then Jean mentally reached out as far as she could until she found it. The projector to the images. The man playing with the cinema reel. Her surroundings violently cracked and broke downwards into shadows as an endless blue and grey hue engulfed her and one other. A middle-aged man with curled hair and thick mutton chops. One that was trembling as Jean grabbed his collar and shoved him into a wall that she mentally formed. 

“You have no right to just invade people’s minds and mess around with them.”

He raised a brow and shrugged a little.

“Ironic.” He mumbled but he was cut short as she shoved him again.

Despite the clear height difference going against her, Jean found it relatively easy to do so.

“Because I’m making you stop. And unlike you, I’m an actual telepath. These types of powers can _hurt_ people.”

“You done with the fucking lect… _Ooof_! Will you let go of me?!”

“Let go of the others.” She commanded, feeling her grip tighten on the man, “I’m really not someone you play these games with. I’ve mentally fought mutants a hell of a lot stronger than you.”

As she spoke, she poured memories of her telepathic battle with Apocalypse into his mind. His eyes became dazed as he read the memories. And then he began to shake. His breathing became unsettled as he swiftly understood just what type of situation that he now found himself in. He even tried to lean deeper into the mental wall behind him.

“And unlike you, these memories are _real._ Don’t you ever use your powers like this again.” He nodded swiftly, mumbling something she couldn’t quite hear, “If you do, I’ll send the Professor. And he is better than me at this.”

The man became still, now staring at the ground as he registered the threat. He knew Xavier by reputation alone but that was enough. Jean sensed his mind was doing something. A release of pressure. And then she understood. She let him go and the wall faded from behind him. He staggered back, looking around them hesitantly. He looked nervous.

“Interesting place this.” He motioned to the endlessness of the grey lights around them, “I’ve been here a few times. The Astral Plane. Took a lot of power. But you,” He almost spat, “You can just slide here like…like nothing.”

She said nothing. She quite frankly had no idea what he was talking about nor did she really care. Her friends were now safe and that was good enough. She began to release him from the telepathic realm she had thrown him in.

“Be careful, though. There are many beings in here you don’t want to play with, child.” He sneered as they both faded from their visions.

Jean blinked twice, seeing damp stonework again. She let herself focus on slowing down her breathing until she noticed movement. Mystique and Beast shook as they regained control of their bodies, but they weren’t the only ones. Jamie shuddered and leaped back, shouting randomly in hysterics. Beast quickly touched his shoulder carefully and made the shaking man look at him.

“Where’s the bulldog?”

“What bulldog?”

Jamie paused, staring in front of him for a moment, before cupping his face and breathing heavily. He leaned back again, looking disorientated and even fearful.

“How…How long have I been out?”

Beast checked the watch he kept under a glove and tilted his head slightly.

“Three minutes?”

“What?” Jamie whispered, “Three minutes? But I ran…Days…What the actual fuck, man?” He moaned, cupping his face again.

“An illusionist was playing with our heads. He was projecting fake memories and images. Using stuff from our memories to make them worse.” Jean explained.

“That’d be about right.” Mystique muttered as she examined Cyclops and Storm.

It only took a moment until she managed to rouse the both of them. Beast immediately limped towards them and began his examinations. While Scott was simply bumped and bruised, Ororo seemed slightly worse for wear. But both were relatively fine. At least in this line of work.

“The illusionist. What happened to him?” Jamie asked quietly as he rose to stand on lead legs.

“I…asked him to stop.” She said carefully and Jamie nodded, reading between the lines.

“You should be okay.” Beast said as he carefully helped Cyclops to his feet, “But be careful, especially with your history.”

He nodded his thanks before swiftly pulling Jean into an embrace. With a soft kiss to the cheek, he let go. Too quickly for Jean’s liking.

“Thank you.” He said with a tired smile, “But where’s Kurt and Pete?”

***

Quicksilver skidded to a halt again and swore loudly. The adhesive was simply everywhere. They planned this trap well. Only the walls and the areas around the shielded woman were clean. Both were not great choices for continuous running. He sighed and stepped onto the wall, pushing his body against gravity as he circled the area behind the woman again. He was running out of places to run and methods to try.

Then he noticed it. The original entrance had returned. He moved towards it when he noticed something else. A small, ever growing puff of blue smoke was appearing near the sticky man. He came to standing position and watched as time rapidly caught up to him before immediately running back into his usual speed, arriving at the end of the corridor with something in his hands.

He stopped once more, carefully placing the now solid Nightcrawler to his feet and watched as he immediately sprung to life once more. The boy took in his surroundings and went through an emotional cycle of anger, confusion, fear and then warmth as he saw Quicksilver. His fangs were exposed as he hugged the older, now uncomfortable man.

“Woah. You, uh, okay there, buddy? And where’d you? I’ve been busting my ass here.” 

“Nien. Vere’s someone playing with vour minds. Vi was…Vi don’t know…Not here.” He shook his head in disbelief, “Vot iz happening?”

“Well, we’re surrounded by two people with really fucking shit powers for the two of us. But…I have an idea.”

“Ja?”

“Yeah. You grab the lady and push her into the water stream as well as the sticky dude.”

Nightcrawler took a moment to think and then shook his head slightly, his mouth gaped in a frown.

“Vat is your idea?”

“You got a better one?”

The question halted Nightcrawler’s cynicism and he sighed. Quicksilver grinned and clapped his shoulder.

“I’ll distract them.”

“Ja, ja.” He tattered, “Let us go, ven.”

Quicksilver immediately appeared next to the beautiful woman with a bashful grin. Her expression was soured as she realised where he was.

“You, sweetie, are becoming a real pain in my-”

“I wouldn’t swear. He really hates swearing due to his beliefs.” Peter cut in, gesturing to an empty space beside.

One that was soon filled by smoke. A second later, he heard both a surprised and a pained shout as well as a splash of water in front of him. Nightcrawler appeared next to him again, wincing and mumbling in panicked German as he stared at his burnt hands. Quicksilver’s mouth went dry as he realised the impact of his plan.

“I…I…Man, I’m…”

“Nien.” Kurt said weakly, “Vi am…fine.” He lied.

Peter gave him a sympathetic glance before looking over the railing. Their former opponent was splashing and desperately waving her hands in the deep water, shouting weakly with mouthfuls of water. They overlooked one other element of this plan. She clearly couldn’t swim. Nightcrawler was gone but soon reappeared by the edge of the water, along with the woman. He shouted again, cradling the injured hand that was touching her. The sticky man soon ran to her and attempted to pat her back. The residue on his palms wasn’t helping much. She splattered and coughed but recovered. Enough so to glare murderously at the two of them.

“We should…go.” Quicksilver whispered and nodded to the entrance.

Nightcrawler nodded weakly and felt the air around his body grow sharp for a second. His surroundings completely changed and he felt sick. But it passed once he saw his friends surrounding him. Peter shrugged as the others stared at him in shock.

“Miss us? Well, we certainly had some f-”

“Vere iz a man playing tricks on us.” Nightcrawler said to others, “Ve must-”

“He’s gone, Kurt.” Jean said softly, “You’re safe.”

“Safer than before.” Mystique said in a concerned tone as she stared at his burnt hands, “What happened?”

“Some really hot chick with burning skin. And a dude that was sticky.” Quicksilver explained before jabbing his thumb backwards, “Don’t go back there. They don’t like us.”

Jean suddenly stiffened, as did Beast and Mystique. And then every other member of the team felt it. A voice in the back of their heads. A faint whisper.

“ _Is everyone alright?_ ” A gentle voice asked, “ _I’ve only just been able to reach you all. Someone was messing with Cerebro.”_

“Charles.” Raven rolled her eyes, “Great timing. We’re fine. It was some illusionist that’s been screwing with us as well. Jean handled it.”

“He’s alive. But we’re all safe.” Jean added, “He won’t impact Cerebro again.”

“ _Then well done. I’m trying to read the other Morlocks. They’re concentrated in one place, it seems. There’s a lot to try and read from them at once._ ” The Professor grunted, “ _They’re…angry. Furious. Someone’s betrayed them.”_

“Marrow.” Jamie called out, “Let me guess, there’s been a _passive_ change in leadership?”

“ _I can’t tell yet. I’m trying to read one mind at a time to figure a coherent story out. I’ll update you as it follows. Are you staying or leaving?”_

Beast grunted as he started to wrap Kurt’s hands.

“We need to leave.”

“Yeah.” Jamie said with flinching expression, “There are worse Morlocks here. Trust me.”

“Trust is something that is earnt, Jamie.” A voice called, “Something that you really seem to care about.”

Three men walked towards them from the entrance way the X-Men originally came. They were cut and bruised and looked very tired. Their clothes were torn and matted, with several noticeable blood stained in several areas. The man in front, a short, bald man with a scar on his cheek, gestured to the others.

“Callisto wants a word. We’re to guide you to her.” He saw Beast open his mouth and he sighed, “We’re not gonna hurt you. At least, not us. Callisto wants to show you her gratitude over somethin’.”

“For what?” Cyclops asked carefully and the man shrugged again, annoyed.

“For somethin’. I don’t know. Now, c’mon before she kicks me in the ass again.”

The others turned to Beast and Mystique, the latter of whom shook her head begrudgingly. She appeared to be having a silent conversation with Charles that the others weren’t privy to.

“This is why we’re here.” She murmured, “Stay closed and on guard.”

“ _I’ll stand by to ensure nothing happens. Oh…And you might have some company arriving.”_ Xavier said hesitantly as he once again addressed the entire group.

“And who is that?” Mystique muttered to herself as she walked towards the Morlocks.

“ _Erik has left the house and appears to be heading to the city. He chose to leave his helmet, however.”_

The group exchanged unhappy glances. Mystique looked simply furious. They needed to finish before he got here. He’d just make things more complicated than they needed to be as he usually did.

The leader of the trio pointed to the passed-out members of their group.

“Have someone come back for em. Callisto will want em with the rest of Marrow’s lot.”

The trio led the X-Men into the tunnel they had been previously walking in. However, they took a sudden left after only a few minutes. There was a small opening in the brick wall that no one had paid much attention to, yet it was enough for everyone to squeeze into. Well, Nightcrawler did need to teleport Beast through it. The trio tried to make idle chitchat with them, taking particular interest in Nightcrawler’s engravings and Storm’s haircut. Both just gave quiet, minimal replies as they made their way into the abandoned subway tunnels.

They passed several bruised and bandaged guards as they went deeper into the underground world. All were silent but offered polite nods as they passed. They looked exhausted and miserable for some reason. Jean could sense a lot of hurt amongst them. Jamie was right. Something had happened tonight within the secret society.

Within about twenty minutes, they started to pass by old subway cars that were heavily modified. They were small houses and apartments. Planks of wood and sheets of metal became walls and doors for the inhabitants. Some even decorated themselves with small gardens of mushrooms and other plant life that could survive underground. About a dozen of them existed on the outskirts of what appeared to be a town. Old, abandoned signs and sheets were plastered on walls and the ceiling above. To an outsider, the settlement looked like an apocalyptic hobble.

As the party continued, they saw a large opening and an old waiting area that had been retrofitted into an open courtyard. One that was packed with _hundreds_ of people. They were listening carefully to something in the middle of them. A harsh, violent voice snapped over them. Nightcrawler shrank a little as he could closer to the voice. Storm’s breathing increased as the space around her shrank. Her nails dug into her palms deeply. Part of her wished the stinging and bleeding in the back of her head hadn’t stopped. She could worry about that instead of the tight spaces.

Their guides pushed through the people and grunted at those that wouldn’t. Murmurs and whispers filled the room as everyone stared at them in shock and surprise. Some of the younger mutants looked at them in simple, genuine awe. There were far more mutants than any of the team were expecting. Even Mystique grew surprised at their growing numbers. Elderly, youths, even small children were gathered. They had an actual population here.

Soon, the X-Men walked down several long steps and into the middle of the Morlock horde. There were seven stone and metal seats in a circular position around a small, stone table. All of them were filled except for the seat at the head of the table. The occupant was currently standing above the table, where a pink haired woman was lying. She was bruised and heavily cut, with blood trickling down her exposed chest. Her forearms were blue from what was clearly savage treatment. Scott felt sick looking at her. The woman standing over her spun towards them, grinning at them like a predator. Her left eye was covered in an eyepatch, barely hiding the horrific scar that ran down her cheek. She pointed to Mystique with a pronged weapon. A sai.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I give you…the Hero!” She called.

The room broke out into discussion. Raven rolled her eyes but stepped forward. An elderly man in a purple rope held up his hand, silencing the Morlocks instantly. He had a graceful, gentle stance and his eyes held much wisdom to them. Jean could sense a level of animosity form from who she guessed was Callisto as he spoke.

“We are the Morlocks.” He said in a wispish voice, “And who are you?”

“I am…a representative of Charles Xavier.” Raven said after carefully consideration, “We’re the X-Men.”

More murmuring began but Callisto clicked her fingers. That action alone was enough to reign in silence.

“Ah, yes. The mutant that was us to live with the humans.” She laughed and several others joined, “I like his ads for his school,” More laughter entered the hall, “Almost makes me want to have a kid just to send them there.” She suddenly took notice of a trembling Jamie, “I recognise you. Yeah. From years back. Used to cry about not being allowed in.” She licked her lips, “See you’ve found yourself a new group.”

Jamie’s face soured but he soon adopted his usual cocky smirk. He casually slung his hands in his jacket and shrugged.

“Yeah, they’re decent. See you’ve found yourself a coup.” He nodded to the shuddering woman near Callisto’s boot.

Callisto suddenly slammed said boot into the woman’s gut, making her cry out. Jamie’s face dropped into horror as he watched.

“Yeah?” Callisto snapped before addressing the crowd, “And who the fuck remains to challenge me?!”

She gestured to the far wall. A dozen or so individuals were chained and shackled. All held terrible injuries and some were dropping in and out of consciousness. The room was silent and Storm noticed how uncomfortable people seemed. Parents were holding their children close to their sides, shielding their eyes from the scene. Even the other Morlocks who were seated at the table looked dismissively and uncomfortable at the display. She was tempted to speak up but suddenly felt something. Eagerness. Anticipation. Concern. She sighed to herself in a low tone as she realised how close their new guest was.

The elderly man spoke once more.

“Why have you visited us, X-Men?”

“We’d like information.” Beast answered, “On a mutant that’s been attacking others and stealing government equipment.”

“Ah, who gives a fuck.” Callisto shrugged, “The human government can’t protect their stuff.” She made a mock sobbing expression, “Save them, please.”

“We’re willing to pay. Or offer any services we can.” Beast continued, ignoring the jest.

“How much we talkin’?” She asked as she hopped of the table and strode towards them.

Mystique reached into her pocket and pulled several wads of bills out. Callisto chuckled but one of the seated Morlocks, one with a grey and unnaturally drooped face, shook his head.

“They dealt with Mastermind. We owe them a debt that can be repaid.” He said with a prompt huff.

Callisto bared her teeth at him in a foul snarl but Jean spoke up before she could do anything.

“You were having issues with him, too?”

“While this little bitch was moving in, our guards were busy fighting invisible enemies or sobbing in the corner.” Callisto explained sourly before sighing deeply, “I guess we do owe you this. You did help us regroup once he fucked off. Is he dead?”

“No.” Jean said simply and Callisto muttered.

“Your choice, I guess. He dares come back here, and he’ll be dead anyway.” She leaned against the table and lazily gestured to Beast and Mystique, “What do you want to know?”

“A mutant with radiation abilities.” Jamie called out, “I’ve heard one was down here a few months back. We want info on them.”

Callisto’s expression tightened, as did the rest of the Morlock council. She slowly lowered her leather jacket from her shoulders, revealing a scar in the shape of a hand on her upper left arm.

“We remember him. Came here two months back asking about the Horsemen of Apocalypse.” Storm’s body became rigid, “We only knew about two of them. Calliban’s little pet and Magneto. He asked for a location and we said we didn’t know. We suggested he try Calliban. He didn’t like that answer.” She tapped her burn mark with the sai before pulling the jacket up again, “He was…That fucker was something else. He gave everyone some minor radiation sickness. Not enough to kill or harm but enough to make us pass out. We woke up and he was gone. We sent trackers after him but he knows to avoid people.”

“That is all we know.” The bearded Morlock confirmed, “We were lucky none were hurt aside from Callisto, who refused my powers.” He said to her, as if addressing a child.

“It’s a warrior’s mark.” She chided and the elderly man huffed.

Beast sighed softly as he thought. That was not a lot to go on. It was barely anything at all.

“Do you know anything about him? Anything at all?” He pressed and Callisto stared at her feet for a moment.

“He made a very brief comment about being from Denver when he was being welcomed in. And he changed topic once the comment slipped. But that’s all. We didn’t know him but he knew _exactly_ where to find us. He must have some other connections.”

“Denver?” Beast mouthed, suddenly being lost in his thoughts.

Mystique watched as he grew uneasy but she didn’t say anything. Now wasn’t the time to press him on whatever was taking a hold of his anxieties. Instead, she threw the money at Callisto.

“Call it insurance if we need to visit next time.” She said and Callisto snorted as she counted the notes.

“I’ll call it a favour to get in my graces.” She tossed a look at the woman beside her, “God knows few understand the importance of due respect, these days.”

She went to strike the woman again but her hand only drifted through smoke. Her sai was immediately aimed ahead of her. Nightcrawler trembled slightly as he held the barely breathing woman in his arms. The atmosphere of the room became a thickness of tension and unknowingness.

“Vere has been enough violence today.” He said, trying to raise his voice, “Vhy continue it?”

Callisto bared her teeth once again as she took a step forward. Cyclops had his fingers on his vizors immediately. She stared at him and suddenly the crowd took great effort to give them space. Only a few remained around them and Mystique quickly guessed they were the current guards. Quicksilver looked them over. He wasn’t that fussed. Unless they had energy powers. The thought made Quicksilver very hesitant very quickly as he looked at Kurt’s burnt hands.

“Remember whose house this is.” Callisto warned, “Hand her over.”

“To die?” Nightcrawler asked in an almost innocent fashion.

“We do not kill our prisoners.” A councilwoman spoke softly and she turned to Callisto, “You’ve had your fun. Enough.”

“Remember who’s in charge here.” Callisto warned the older lady, “Hand her over. I won’t ask again.”

Nightcrawler looked down at the pink haired woman. She was coughing weakly and clearly in a very bad way. He closed his eyes and gently shook his head.

“Nien.” He whispered, “Vi cannot. Not like vis.”

Callisto tilted her head back and forth for a moment in a mocking show of thought. Within a second, her arm was extended to her side. A flash of silver flew towards Kurt but suddenly veered to the side. And into the hand of a tattering man in a white medical shirt and a simple pair of grey pants. Beside him were several Morlocks floating in the air, piles of metal wrapped around their arms and ankles. He casually shoved them back into wall as he stepped forwards but it was not with an overt amount of force. He wasn’t here for violence, it seemed.

Erik spun the sai around his finger for a moment, clicking his tongue as he stared at the weapon. He looked up, smiling softly to Callisto as he gestured to her with it.

“Callisto, I assume?”

The Morlocks gave him a very mixed appraisal. Some viewed him with fascination and as if he were a celebrity. Others spat at the group and gave him the same look they would a traitor. The mixed reception was not lost on him.

“It has been too long since I have visited you all, my brothers and sisters. My, you have grown in rank and ability.”

“And you have been busy.” The old man said distantly, “You have done quite a job making many of us need to live down here. Including children.”

“Because my vision was not fulfilled, Healer.” Erik explained, tossing a sideways glance to the X-Men, “If I had my way…But we all must adapt, it seems. How’s leadership treating you?” He asked Callisto.

She didn’t reply. She was too preoccupied with staring at the sai in his hand. He levitated it towards he and she snatched it from the air. She finally met his gaze.

“Why are you here?”

“Ensuring my…acquaintances were not harmed. And to ask some questions of my own.” He took several steps to the side, beginning to draw himself into a prowl, “Who is your contact amongst the humans?” 

“We barely have any of note.” Healer replied on behalf of Callisto, “What are you looking for?”

Erik’s voice gained venom.

“I want to know how this…mutant knew where my helmet was. He stole it from the humans. Who told him where it was? I doubt a human would tell him.”

“None of us.” Callisto said in a neutral tone, “Like I said. He asked about your location. I couldn’t tell him. He lashed out and knock us out. He was gone after that. And none of us know that type of information, _anyway_.”

“And _no one_ knows who he is?” Erik asked sceptically.

The hall was silent and Erik glared at them. He opened his mouth but suddenly froze.

“ _None of them are lying, Erik.”_ A voice called at the back of his mind, “ _They don’t know anything.”_

“I’m surprised you let me get this far, Charles.” He whispered to himself.

“ _I guessed you weren’t on a warpath. Not this time. You didn’t bring your helmet.”_

“A show of trust, old friend. I was genuinely concerned for your children and for Raven.”

Erik drew his attention away from the Morlock populace. Instead, he looked at those in the shackles.

“And what will you do with them?” He asked and Callisto shrugged.

“Exile.”

Magneto didn’t say anything. He merely raised his hand and flexed it. The shackles immediately snapped off and slid away from the dozen prisoners. Callisto spun to stare at him but he gave her a challenging gaze. One she reluctantly stepped away from. She knew enough about him from his infamous past to know challenging him in a room full of children was not wise.

“For those of you wanting unity under the _sun_ , I am here my brothers and sisters. I have left you for too long. And it is clear we are still tossed aside by humans. Forced to live down here. I can help you. I _want_ to help you. And even if you don’t tolerate me, there are better people.” He gave a surprising gesture to Beast, “There are better ways to live. Come with us.”

They took their time getting to their feet. Someone of them needed the support of others to simply accomplish that effort. They stared at him with a mix of distrust and hate. One of them stepped forward.

“I’d rather…take my chances, _Magneto.”_ She spat.

She limped to the nearest door and beckoned the rest of her failed conspirators to join her. One by one, they hobbled their way to the exist and disappeared behind the thick steel door. All bar one. One with sickly green sick and peculiar long legs that stretched out either side of his hips. He took his time but soon he stood before Erik, his head lowered in reverence.

“I remember you.” He whispered in a thick cockney accent, “From that day in Washington. The speech. I remember.”

Erik was silent but clapped his shoulder and squeezed it tightly. He bucked his head towards the X-Men and soon the British mutant walked towards them. It was only when he got close did Mystique realise that she knew him. They had briefly met over a decade ago in Vietnam that day when she’d met Stryker and reunited with Alex Summers. He certainly was an odd-looking man. He was even still wearing the bulbous goggles she saw him wear over a decade ago.

“Anything else?” Callisto asked sarcastically, clearly growing impatient at Erik’s presence.

He didn’t respond. He merely looked at the X-Men. Beast gingerly stepped forward.

“Thank you for your hospitality. We’ll be going now, if that’s okay?”

“We’ll have someone guide you to the way you came.” Callisto said as she sat on the table, “It’s a pleasure.” Her voice was laced with sarcasm.

The group soon moved towards the exit, the newcomer included. Storm all but rushed to the exit, desperate for open air once more. A hand touched Nightcrawler’s shoulder. He turned to see the old man offering him a gentle smile before looking down at the woman in Kurt’s arms. He reached down and touched her jaw. After several moments, her skin sealed and the bruises faded. Even her breathing eased.

“Tolle.” He said in awe, “Vat iz a gift of God.”

“Maybe. Even if it isn’t, it is a gift all deserve.” He said as he placed an old sheet over the woman’s exposed chest, “Look after her. She just needs…caring guidance.”

“We’ll do our best.” Cyclops said optimistically before noticing a small child with a drawing pad and some colouring pencils.

He walked over and whispered something to the child before taking a page and a blue pencil. The child shyly back into her parent’s legs but nodded at his request. He wrote a series of numbers before offering Healer the sheet.

“If you never need us, don’t hesitate.”

Healer stared at the paper and a smile formed on his face.

“What is your name?”

“Scott.”

“Well, Scott of the X-Men. I wish safe travels home. And I do hope we meet under better circumstances next time.”

“Same.” Cyclops said, shaking the man’s hand, “I really do.”

***

A/N: Hi all!

I hope you’re well. Thank you so much for continuing to read and for giving me Kudos. It’s always extremely nice to see people actually read this. And I hope you’re still enjoying it.

Next chapter will examine what the team does with the little information they found and what relevance it has. As well as Scott’s newfound friendship a little more, as well as invest more into the Storm/Nightcrawler/Psylocke dynamic. It’ll also introduce the dynamic between Erik, Toad and Marrow. It will also feature the first ‘adult scene’ in the story, so hopefully I do it tastefully for you guys.

If you have anu feedback or ideas, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. Otherwise, I hope you have a great week.


	9. End of the Break

Charles sighed, feeling reluctant to make eye contact with the expectant man in front of him. Within the confines of his office, the Headmaster was usually at his most confident. Now…Now he just embraced the growing anxiety within him. The entire conversation had allowed it to fester but Hank cared little about that. He was determined to maintain his point.

“Charles.” He repeated, his face forlorn, “How many mutants from Denver do we know that have radiation powers?”

The Professor shook his head stubbornly, his jaw tightening as he did so.

“I severely doubt that _Billy_ is a would-be assassin, Hank.” The man grimaced, “He used to avoid sport because he was scared of being hurt. He was obsessed with the library. He took a job in _community development._ It’s not in his nature.”

“You used to say that about Raven.” Hank countered with a careful tone, “We have no idea who went after Erik or his helmet. But we do know the attacker’s powers and now his original location.”

“If the Morlocks were telling the truth.” Charles spat, finally making to meet Hank’s eye, “Are we to seriously begin investigating former students? He was one of your first students as well.”

Hank shifted uncomfortably in his seat. William Rolfson came to the institute when he was twelve. A quiet, deer-ish child that struggled to even open his lips near other students. One that would need prompting to undergo group work with his peers. Yet he was also one that was terrified to go home when it was holidays. Charles didn’t need his powers to guess why. Even Hank could guess. Rolfson quickly became one of the first students that stayed at the school for the entire year, until he graduated and attended college. Hank still remembered the pride he felt when he found out that his student was accepted. A pride that now suddenly felt shameful to have.

Perhaps Raven was rubbing off on Hank and he was being too quick to judge? He had heard nothing ill about the former student. In fact, he hadn’t heard anything about him at all in over a decade.

“Should we take that chance? If there is a one percent possibility that he is…”

He stopped, noticing Charles sighing and leaning into his cheek. A sour yet defeated look was draped on his face. Hank was right. Charles hated it but Hank was right. They needed to explore all possibilities, especially given the events beforehand.

“I’ll…I’ll consider using Cerebro to locate him and his thoughts.” He relented, “Can you…see if you can find anything about him in more traditional ways.”

“Yeah,” Hank nodded, “Of course. Anything else?”

Before Charles could answer, a knock echoed into the room. Charles raised a brow. One that creased into a deep frown. The person behind the door let themselves in. Erik gave a short, smug smile as he sauntered into the room, only noticing Hank after several moments.

“Charles. Hank.”

“What are you doing here?” Charles snapped in a hushed voice, “You’re a want-”

“Some blonde woman and a Japanese teacher have taken the students outside for some…I don’t know or care.” He said with disinterest as he sat in the seat beside Hank, “No one saw me. Check yourself.”

Charles scoffed but he did reach out with his powers. True to his word, most of the children were in the grounds with Alison and Shiro. Those that weren’t were simply in their rooms. 

“What do you want?” Hank asked in an agitated tone.

“Well, I suppose, to stretch my legs now my room has been taken by the Morlock.”

Since arriving during the previous night, Marrow had been confined to the medical bay where she was now resting. Her wounds were completely healed but she was exhausted, having not woken up in over twelve hours. The issue of relocating Erik to a new place away from the children had yet to be addressed.

“We were just about to discuss that.” Charles explained, “We could put you in the hanger. It’s very large so you can stretch your legs. Or there’s the lookout tower. But Kurt Wagner often-”

“Yes, Azazel and Raven’s son.” Erik said in a gravely tone, “Oh? You thought I wouldn’t notice the _blue demon_? I recognised him in Cairo, Charles. Have some more respect for me. Does the boy know?”

“No.” Charles said in a warning tone, “And you will-”

“Keep my mouth shut.” Erik sighed, suddenly losing interest in the topic as he leaned back and crossed his legs, “Tell me. I’ve heard rumours that humans are attending this school soon. Why?”

Charles was silent as he watched Erik closely. The man was _disappointed_ in Charles. Of all the emotions to thrust at the man. Judgement. As if Erik could dispense any. Not with his track record that was saturated in blood and grown with hatred.

“Mutants need to survive. We both agree on that. We need humans to know we’re not a threat. That they don’t need to fear us. That-”

“But they do.” Erik cut in, “They _do._ And they always will.”

“Because of people like you, Erik. People who can’t let go of hatred for past events. Who abuse their powers on others without any.”

“I’m not the one who hunts, tortures and experiments on another race.”

“The first two are debatable.” Hank murmured.

“I’m trying to prove something here.”

“You always are, Charles.” A smile formed on Erik’s lips, “And I look forward to seeing what happens when it collapses around you and then your children are being hunted. It’s happened before to countless others.” He paused, lost in thought, “Countless others. You’ll see. Mutants need to stand together to survive.”

“Agreed.” Charles nodded, “Together but not against humans. We’ve seen how that future ends. How _your_ version of the future ends.”

Erik stared coldly at the Professor for a moment but knew when an argument was lost. At least for the moment. He had spent much of the late seventies pondering the future that had Logan described. The future of the mutant race. And the deaths of all those he knew and needed to protect at the hands of the humans. Humans he allegedly played a part in arming against his own kind.

“Please notify me when I can sleep again.” Erik said casually as he rose to his feet, “Hank.”

The doctor gave a reluctant nod as the magnetic mutant made his exit. Most of the students should still be within the grounds. At least, he silently prayed for such as he made his way to the hidden elevator. As he motioned for the door to open with his magnetic pull, he felt an odd concentration of metal behind him. One that made his lip quirk.

“Avalanche.” He greeted, turning on his feel to acknowledge the teen behind him.

True enough, the boy in the padded head brace smiled shyly.

“Mag…Magn…Erik.” He said, his eyes flashing with frustration for a moment.

“I’m not meant to be here.” The older man explained quietly, “You didn’t see me. Understand?”

“I…I didn’t see you…last time.” He smiled again, “Why are y-y-you here? Meeting with the Pro-Professor?”

“Something like that. What about you? The others are all outside.”

Dominikos’ cheeks hollowed as he rocked on his feet.

“Diff-difficult to relax outside with…” He pointed to his brace, “I get the shakes. Some of the others…get frus…frust…They get annoyed.”

“So?” Erik shrugged, “Let them be annoyed. You’re learning to control your powers. Mind your business and they should mind theirs.”

A cynical laugh escaped the teen.

“No. Easy for you to say. Master of metals. I ruin streets with…Me. I ruin streets.” His gaze lowered and his tone softened into near mumbling, “I…I don’t like my powers. They hurt. They destroy. They ju-”

He stopped as a hand squeezed his shoulder.

“You have the power to level a town? That’s impressive. Name other students who could do that. Not many? Exactly. It’s a very powerful _gift_ you have, Avalanche. One well worth learning and being proud of. Forget about the others. Focus on being strong with what you have. They’ll respect you then.”

The man paused as the playful and excited shouts of children entered his ears. He winked at the Greek teenager before turning and hurrying into the hidden elevator, watching the awestruck face of the boy as he witnessed the sliding doors. He never knew there were hidden rooms in the mansion…

***

Scott grimaced as he slid into the plush diner chair. His back muscles were still raw and the bruises on his stomach and chest were barely two days old. Fresh enough to make any movement quite difficult for the teenager. The man across from him lowered his book and raised a suspicious brow.

“You look like shit.” Bill said uncomfortably, gesturing to the severe swelling of Scott’s left temple.

Scott offered him a meek smile as a waitress gave the pair a menu each. A look of concern flashed across her face as she saw the black and blue teenager with a cut lip. Scott eyed the menu carefully. He was only just getting his appetite back. Something back being violently knocked out by a living shadow had made it difficult to swallow food. He needed something light.

“Just a minor scuffle.” Scott said absently and Bill leaned back, letting out an indignant grunt as he read his own menu.

“Yeah, of course. _‘Minor’_ being the key word here.” He took a moment to select his own choice of meal, “Was this a training exercise or…”

“Something like that.” Scott replied, too focussed on the food options to really process the question.

Bill hummed in acknowledgement and lowered his menu. Scott took a moment to do the same, allowing them to order soon afterwards. The diner was small and not too far from the mansion. And judging by the few people eating in, the afternoons were not their main rush of customers. Bill smiled politely at Scott.

“So, aside from minor training accidents, how have you been?”

Scott tilted his head for a moment.

“Yeah, pretty good. School’s about to start up again and I’m gonna need to start lookin’ at colleges and stuff. Don’t really know what to study, to be honest. Or if I want to. Aside from that, the usual. You?”

Bill patted the small duffle bag seated next to him.

“Just work. Working on a project that will hopefully get more kids playing in parks, which will hopefully get their parents spending more on local business. And so on and so on.” He sighed tiredly, “You could study geology or teaching, like Alex.”

Scott’s face shifted uncomfortably at the suggestion but thankfully the waitress soon returned. He offered a quiet ‘ _thank you’_ as he was given his cherry coke.

“Not a fan of science. Not good at it, at least. And Alex _barely_ passed any of his exams.”

“Yeah, McCoy used to mention something about that.” Bill agreed, “How is Hank?”

“Yeah, good. Gearing up for another semester. I think he’s a little stressed about it, though. So is the Professor.”

“At least you have new teachers.” Bill countered as he sipped his coffee, “Any crap ones?” He asked with a soft smile.

“Nah.” Scott laughed before grimacing at the pain, “I don’t think so. They’re weird but not bad. Although,” His face brightened up, “Do you know the singer Dazzler?”

“No.” Bill answered with a small shrug and Scott’s body slumped into the green leather behind him.

“Never mind, then. Just a new teacher.”

“Famous?”

“Kinda a big deal.” Scott explained with a wide grin.

“Hmm. Good for you guys. It’s great to see the school doing so well. You got heaps of students now, too.”

“Loads.” Scott agreed, “Classes will be louder.” He muttered and Bill laughed.

“You’ll need to pay better attention then.” He said, “We had so few students that it was easy to listen. Also difficult to get away with falling asleep, though. Thankfully, most classes were interesting. I loved Xavier’s classes on Classical history and literature. Does he still teach them?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately? There are words no more as beautiful as those made by the Greeks of old.” Bill said with a growing smile, “You really are Alex’s brother. He hated it, too. Always hated subbing for the Professor in that class. That and the ethics class.”

Scott fought the urge to snicker.

“Yeah, I thankfully don’t need to take that one. I’m not smart enough for it.”

Bill scoffed and took another sip of his drink before smiling at the young man. He clicked his tongue.

“Do you save a younger man that’s dying or an older man that’s healthy?”

Scott froze but soon chewed his tongue as he mewled over the question.

“I don’t know. I guess…How sick is the young dude?”

“Terminal.”

“Shit. Um, wow. I guess…I’d go with…Do either have families?”

“Both.”

“Shit.” Scott let out a somewhat stressed laugh, “There’s a reason I never did this class.”

Bill laughed for a moment. His face slowly dropped into a stony gaze as he discovered another question of interest.

“What about…Do you think redemption of abusers is ethical to victims?”

“Um, yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” Scott asked, his eyes scanning side to side as he tried to understand the issue.

“A man murders a family. Converts to God and repents his sins. Is the man still a bad person or is he completely new? Refreshed? What about the family and friends of the victims? Do they not get justice?”

“I think you’re mixing up justice with morality. Those are two different things. I mean, you can be good but justice still needs to be done if you’ve done something serious. That’s why prison exists.”

“So…If a person changes, there still needs to be repercussions?” Bill pressed and Scott scratched his arm as he looked out at the street beside them.

“Maybe. I think so. I guess…I guess we always hope we can change people. Make them better. Do less shit things. But sometimes, they still need to answer for themselves. At least, sometimes.” Scott shrugged, feeling insecure at his answer.

Bill smiled again as he leaned back into seat. He took one last sip of his coffee.

“A shame you didn’t do the ethics class. You’re not _that_ bad at it, kid.”

***

Jubilee smiled as she walked by a short, squatting man with his legs protruding by his sides. Mortimer Toynbee was sitting on the floor by one of the recreation rooms, playing with the thick goggles that often hid his mysterious eyes. For once, his eyes were exposed and fixated on the task at hand. He was cradling his goggles as he worked them with a screwdriver. She noticed he was sitting in the dark with the thick curtains offering him shade. The sound of a cleared throat encouraged the man to look up, his abnormally thick, muddy green eyes blinking several times as he did so.

“Evenin’, miss.” He drawled in his thick cockney accent as he gave her a nod.

“Settling in well?” She asked and he offered her a shy smile.

“Great place, this is. Wish I had it growin’ up.” He admitted before pausing and gesturing to a nearby cushion, “You can sit if ya wan’.”

Jubilee smiled as she sat down across from him. This was the closed she’d seen the newcomer. His skin was thick and a pale green, much like his short hair. His strong jawline was coated in many tiny scars, as if shaving was an incredibly difficult skill for the man. He noticed her staring at him and he suddenly avoided eye contact. It became difficult to focus on the task at hand with the girl there.

“What are you doing?” She asked and he smiled shyly again, tapping the goggles with the screwdriver.

“Making sure no light gets in. Me eyes don’t like light.” He explained as he stared at the sunset with genuine fear, “I need these to see. And I broke em when Marrow tried to take out Callisto.”

“Was Callisto really that bad?” Jubilee asked and she received a short shrug.

“She was insecure about her power. Made dumb choices, she did. We got sick of her. She wasn’t a bad person. She wanted to look after us. She just…”

“Wasn’t the best person for the job?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, “She’s no Xavier or Lehnsherr.”

Jubilee scoffed at the second name.

“I don’t think Magneto is all that great of a leader. At least, from what I’ve seen.”

Mortimer frowned at her, looking as if she’d offended his mother.

“That’s the stuff they want you to see. The humans, that is. But I remember seeing him. That day in Washington. Speaking out against how the humans treat us. Just for being what we are. I know others who have met him and they know his words aren’t just words. And even listening to him a few days ago…” Mortimer suddenly grew shy again and resumed playing with his goggles, “I think that’s a man I can follow.”

“He’s killed people.” Jubilee said bluntly.

“How many of us have humans killed?” He looked up at her, “I was in ‘nam. I was part of a special team of mutant soldiers. And in exchange for our services and watching our mates die, we were about to be experimented on. Cut open. Made lab rats.” He looked down again, “If it weren’t for that blue bird, I’d be dead thanks to humans.”

“Yeah, but things have changed.”

“Yeah, for _you._ ” He said, suddenly annoyed, “You live in a nice mansion, in a nice city. Go to Europe and see the mutant cage fights. Or Asia, where they’re still experimenting on us. Or Africa, where we’re used as soldiers against our will. Things have changed for some. Things haven’t for others.”

Jubilee sighed as she thought for a moment. She was not exactly great at deep debates. Her usual passions for discussion were limited to more superficial elements of her life. Jean was always the politician of the group.

“Then we should try to make sure it’s change for everyone.”

“Yeah.” Mortimer agreed, “It’s just a question of how we do that, love.”

***

It took almost an hour but Ororo had finally tracked him down to one of the sofas in the upper lounge room. He was reading something, something which was engaging enough to obscure her presence until she firmly grabbed his shoulder. Kurt hissed in fear but mellowed once he saw who it was. A mellowness which faded once his eyes landed on the medical kit in her free hand.

“Do not try teleporting.” She warned, “Doctor McCoy and I are tired of this game.”

Truth be told, he had been avoiding his follow up appointments with McCoy. It only took him one session of rubbing the stinging lotion into his hands for Kurt to decide never to undergo it again. A mindset that had clearly failed. He sighed and relaxed, signally Ororo to begin. Taking the seat across from him, she started gently unwrapping the bandages and placing them in a disposable bag beside her. Staring at his exposed burns, Kurt silently regretted not asking the Healer for his own treatment.

“Vi am fine.” Kurt murmured but Ororo ignored him.

Predicting his upcoming reaction, Ororo gently but firmly grabbed his wrist as she started rubbing the thick, white gel into his wounds. She heard him gasp desperately and murmur what she assumed as a prayer in his language. Quite simply, his hand was on fire. She tried to be as quick as possible, coating the wounds before swiftly wrapping them up again. She quickly switched hands. She noticed his tail was flapping about beside him.

“What is it like having a tail?”

“Vot iz it like not having one?”

“Good point.” Ororo shrugged, “Is it sensitive or dull?”

“Hmm. It feels like my…hand, uh, hands do.” Ororo stared at him for a moment, “It does!”

She reminded silent as she finished wrapping his second hand. Three fingers. Another odd difference between them. One tail, two toes and three fingers. An odd boy, that was for certain. And that wasn’t even taking into consideration the blue skin or the pointed ears and teeth. Or the scars.

“How do you write?” She asked as a moment.

“Um…” His cheeks turned into a dark indigo, “Not vell?”

“Have you tried using your tail?” A sarcastic voice suggested, “Might be worth trying.”

Ororo’s jaw tightened slightly as she slowly tilted her head to stare at the purple haired woman in front of them. Psylocke was scrutinising them with a judgemental gaze whilst holding a plate with some pasta on it. She was still eating in her room, it seemed. A fact that made her smirk a little.

“Why are you not eating lunch with the others?” The teen asked in a falsely sincere tone, “You do not seem like a woman that is shy.”

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed but instead of taking the bait, she turned to Kurt. A boy who simply waved weakly at the woman.

“How are your hands? I heard you injured them.”

“Ja,” Kurt said carefully, not knowing the angle she was aiming at, “Vi burnt them on a woman.”

“Touching women?” She queried before turning to Ororo, “Is that allowed in the X-Men handbook?”

“I will ask Doctor McCoy.” Ororo said with a nod, “I was just about to ask him how he managed to put you into defeat in Egypt.”

The corner of Psylocke’s lip twitched. But once again, she remained calm and turned back to Kurt.

“I wish you a steady re-”

“Do vou know how to fence?” Kurt asked as he flexed his newly wrapped hands experimentally.

Psylocke didn’t know if the question was some type of trap or mockery on his part. Her cynical frown returned.

“I was able to slice down a fair few of you in Egypt. I-”

“Vi didn’t have a sword.” Kurt shrugged, “And ve never directly fought.”

“Are you challenging me?” She asked before a chuckle escaped her smooth lips, “Do you know what I do for a living?”

“Ja.” He said simply, as if it were a normal question, “But vi wasn’t challenging vou. Vi like to fence. No one here does.” He said meekly and Ororo shook her head.

He was a naïve idiot if he was seriously asking a former assassin to be a sporting buddy. Then again, it could just be part of his always forgiving attitude towards others. He did pseudo kidnap Marrow, a would-be revolutionary, after all.

Psylocke smiled in an overly sweet way and took several steps towards the young man. He resisted the urge to shift deeper into his sofa. Everything from her steel eyes, overbearing stance to her smirk screamed danger to the young German. He’d been around enough dangerous people to recognise it.

“I have my sword. Do you have one?”

“Nien.” He admitted in a low tone, “But vi birthday iz coming up. Vere are cheap fencing tools I could request.”

“I do not think the Professor would condone this.” Ororo said carefully, “There are children around.”

“Scared someone would get hurt?” Elizabeth chuckled.

“Ja. And vou seem nice, too.”

It took a moment for Psylocke to interpret what he was trying to imply and she titled her head at him. She wasn’t amused. The older woman was sick and tired of the mixed emotions pouring into her head thanks to the girl and the boy that was causing them. The banes of her sanity. And the blue man was too…cheerful and naïve for her tastes. He was clearly sheltered. But she was a guest at a school of all places. She severely doubted any fights she started, even if she could defend them as necessary to deter annoying teens, would grant her any favour with Xavier. And she was still trying to sort out any other viable locations to house herself.

“We’ll see, then. I’ll see you around.” She said, opting to merely retreat from the annoying situation.

“Gut.” Kurt nodded, not noticing any malice to her tone. 

“Enjoy your meal.” Ororo said evenly.

“Ja.” Kurt agreed as he stood up, “And please come out again. Vou should leave vour room more.”

“Thanks, dad.” Psylocke said dryly, “I’ll send in my application to be a teacher so we can all graces ourselves with our presence more often.”

She departed without another word. Kurt waved at her awkwardly but stopped once he noticed Ororo was staring at him.

“Vat?”

“A sword fight is a stupid idea.” She chastised but the meek boy gave her a shy shrug and smile.

“Vit has been months since vi have had a fencing session.” He shifted on his feet, “Vi vould like to take vit up again.”

“Then join a local team. Do not challenge her. She is dangerous.”

***

The worst pain the pink haired woman imagined wasn’t being stabbed several times, as she was yesterday. Nor was it feeling a rib crack under Callisto’s boot. It was the obscenely blinding light burning into her eyes. As she placed a hand over them, she groaned in discomfort. The pale brown orbs were in hell. It took a moment for the throbbing to stop and only then did she become aware of her surroundings as they cleared. She was in a sterile, silver room filled with monitors, thin beds and glass cabinets. Her senses sharpened immediately as she hastily looked around for any scientist or captor in sight.

There was only a lanky man with square glasses seated nearby. He was staring at her with mild interest until he returned to making several notes on his clipboard. She was on her feet by the time he stood from his workstation.

“How do you feel?” He asked with a polite smile.

One she returned with a violent glare. Gritting her teeth, she hissed quietly as bone sliced through flesh. Several trails of red poured from her arm as a sharp, sickly white protrusion shoot out from the skin. With a pained grunt, she pulled the stained, blade shaped bone from her body and aimed it at the man, her hand shaking as she did so. The man looked at her, then her bloodied arm, then to her bone dagger. He promptly walked to the nearest sink to empty his stomach.

As he retched several times, the woman noticed she was attached to several tubes and clear bags of liquid. With a hiss, she pulled them out.

“They’re…water.” She heard the man gasp, “Just…water. You were dehydrated.” He explained as he washed his mouth.

He turned and gestured to her bloodied weapon.

“Doesn’t that _hurt?_ ” He asked in shock.

“You learn to _accept_ the pain.” She hissed, “Where am I, human?”

“Well,” The man said as he became amused, “I’m Hank. I’m a mutant, like you. You are currently in the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. A place…”

Her shoulders and mouth dropped as she heard the name. She was with _him._ The pacifist. The man who believed humans should be won over by mutants, even after all the hunting and cruelty. A man who would forgive the very humans that tossed the woman into the gutters as a child whilst screaming ‘ _freak’_. She knew this place _well._ She’d even read several of his books. The Morlocks found them highly amusing, viewing them with the same dark humour as one would Hamlet.

“I’m leaving.” She stated.

“Well, if you want.” Hank said and her surprise deepened, “I would like to run some more tests but you’re not a hostage.”

“No, you are not.”

She turned to see the man of the hour rolling in. So, Xavier was wheelchair bound. She honestly thought it was just a rumour made by those that taunted him. But here he was, sitting beneath her yet looking as confident as Callisto. But instead of judgement and ice in his eyes, there was warmth and eagerness. It made her uncomfortable.

“I am Charles Xavier and welcome to my school.” He greeted with a raised hand.

“This isn’t like any school I’ve known.” She spat, ignoring the hand, and the men chuckled.

“You’re in the sublevel, where we keep the medical bay. Not many children know of it.”

“Why am I here?” She snapped.

“Well, you were severely injured after your…disagreement with Callisto. And we…”

Callisto…Marrow had lost. Callisto had won. But she had Mastermind on her side. He was dealing with the guards as she made her way into Callisto’s room. And the others were distracted by her other followers. She had the situation in her hands. She had almost won. What the fuck happened?

“I need to leave.” She said but she soon noticed all she was wearing was a simple medical gown, “Where are my clothes?”

“Well, in the bin.” Charles said simply with a mild grimace, “Callisto’s…treatment ruined them.”

“I’ll repay it.” She said through her teeth, “Give me some clothes and I’ll be out of your hai…Out of your way.”

“And go where? Back to the Morlocks? Your friends have all exiled themselves.” Charles explained, “Mortimer is here, however. And he is deeply worried about you.” He smiled at her as he would to a young student, “I propose this. This is a safe haven for our kind. You have nowhere to go.” She glared at him, “We’re more than happy to host you until you get on your feet.”

“I’m not a charity case.” She said and Charles nodded to the dagger still in her hand.

“I can see that. But I _am_ someone who cares about mutants who aren’t at their best. I’ve gone to the effort of setting up a room tha-”

“I didn’t ask you to.” She countered and his smile tightened.

“I wanted to. Because I don’t think you’re a bad person and frankly, I do want to help.”

“Why?”

“Because someone needs to help other mutants. We need to stand together.” His tone dropped somewhat, “At least stay a day or two until you get your strength back. I’ll have Scott give you a tour to sure my intent.”

“I know your intent.” Her voice was laced with mild scrutiny, “You’re famous for your intent.”

Charles straightened himself and even puffed out his chest.

“I do my best.” He said as he began rolling to the door, “Now, could you come with me? I want to have a chat with you and some other people. That’s…if you _do_ want to stay a few evenings?”

She hissed and looked back at the other man. He was just staring at her expectantly. In a moment of frustration, she hurled the knife to the ground. She didn’t have anywhere else to go. Xavier was right. And running the streets in this condition was not overly wise. She didn’t even have pants.

“I want some clothes.”

“Of course.” Xavier said as he came to a halt, “What can we call you?”

“Marrow.” She said instantly, “Just…Marrow.”

***

Marrow was uncomfortable to say the least. As her rather brutal and grotesque powers had formed during puberty, she did not have the greatest schooling experience. In fact, her family had hurled her into the alleyway by twelve. Seeing children run around in excitement or walking with large collections of books was overwhelming for her. The experience she never got. A fact she was deeply resentful for. These mutant children had friends, nice clothes, food, books. She had mud and a bloodied lip from her father. This place was unlike anything she’d ever seen. They even had a _lake_.

Xavier’s office was overly decorated, proving Marrow’s theory that he was a lavish ponce. If it wasn’t the brazen wooden architecture of the room that was something from a Victorian book, it was the trinkets and books scattered everywhere. Thankfully, as she entered, she saw a familiar face.

Mortimer turned as she entered and smiled with a loud laugh. He bounced into the air and landed at her front, enveloping her small frame in a hug.

“Marrow, love. You’re back in style.” He said, nodding to the bright orange shirt and blue denim skirt she was wearing.

According to Hank, the only person that matched her tall, lanky female form was some hippy who donated her clothes a year or so ago. It was all they could offer until they went _shopping_ for her. The colours made her nauseous. Still, she smiled weakly and squeezed his shoulders.

“It’s good to see you, Toady. We…We had a rough one, didn’t we?” She murmured.

He grunted and scratched the side of his goggles.

“That’s one way of puttin’ it. Still, here we are.” He said with another smile.

She noticed over his shoulder that another woman was in the room. A tall woman with lean muscle and dark purple hair. One she hadn’t seen in the school yet. Perhaps she was part of the group that collected her? Or perhaps another teacher. The woman didn’t bother looking at Marrow, however. Her high pointed nose was aimed squarely at the Professor as he rolled behind his desk.

“Please.” He gestured to the two spare seats, “Now, as you all know, this is a school. For children. Which is about to begin another term. In the next few days, students will be returning or beginning and parents will be dropping them off.”

“You want us gone?” Mortimer coughed and Xavier raised a confused brow before lightly shaking his head.

“No. I just wanted to go over the basic rules of staying here in light of this being a school. We do not use our powers freely in public unless it is a training session. So, I don’t want any _blades_ appearing anywhere.” His eyes flickered between the two women, “Second, I expect that there is respect given to all students, staff and parents. We are talking about children here. We have human students as well,” Marrow’s eyes narrowed but the Professor simply stared back as he continued, “They will be treated with equal respect. Understood? And,” He leaned back, “Just the usual rules. No alcohol or drugs. No misconduct with students. No theft or spreading of confidential or private information.”

“Are we getting a contract?” Psylocke snickered softly.

“Do any of you have any qualifications to teach?”

“I’m a certified mechanical engineer.” Mortimer mumbled, “Military taught me.”

Charles was tempted to argue the point but Mortimer lacked any telling signs of lying or tricking the older man. Taking a brief wander into his mind, the Professor was struck to see Mortimer was in fact trained during the Vietnam War.

“Why…Why aren’t you working as one?” Xavier asked quietly, his mouth gaping slightly.

“Cause.” Mortimer shrugged, “Who’d hire a muttie?”

“That’s…Well, I’m sure Hank could use your help.” Xavier murmured, practically to himself as he thought over the jet parts they were currently ordering in secret, “Any questions? Good. Then please enjoy your stay and if we can help you at all, please let me know. And, ah, Miss Braddock. Could you stay a moment?”

Elizabeth said nothing but stayed in her place. Mortimer tilted his head to the Professor before leaping to the door, exciting telling Marrow about the lake the school had nearby. The pink haired woman had little choice by the investigate the greenery with the all too keen Brit. Elizabeth just groaned inwardly as Charles smiled sweetly.

“What do you want?” She growled and his smile melted into a deep sigh.

“You have a very long history in self defence and unarmed combat.” He looked away as he reluctantly continued, “I want you to train the team in it. It appears that…Raven’s teaching methods aren’t enough.”

“I did notice the glasses kid looking a bit worse for wear.” She snorted, “Not interested in playing sensei.”

“Do you want to continue staying here where Calliban can’t get to you?” He said in a surprisingly ominous tone.

Her lip twitched slightly and she leaned closer to his desk.

“Are you threatening to kick me out to be hunted? That’s not the Xavier I’ve heard so much about.” She countered in a mockingly sincere tone.

“I’m asking you to paid board in the form of teaching self-defence.” He explained, “I’ll also pay you. If _that’s_ what it will take.” He paused for a moment, “Do you even have a legally recognised bank account?”

***

After three tours of the entire campus, including the grounds and its walls, Hank and the Professor finished guiding their guests through the entire academic property. A large group of men and women, all with cameras and clipboards, were huddled in front of them. None of them dared to make eye contact, given their task: to inspect the premise of the grounds and level of safety for children. But, given how their minds were repeating pointless memories or facts, Xavier could easily guess they were there for some other purpose. The head official, a short man with balding grey head, tapped his pen against his board as he read over his notes.

“You’ve given us all the right paperwork.” They had been sent _weeks ago_ , “And everything in terms of health and safety regulations seems in order. And all the facilities are in check.” He turned and smiled falsely to the Headmaster, “We’ll contact you shortly.”

“And I look forward to it.” Xavier said, offering his hand.

The man looked at the hand and seemingly forced himself to shake it. Charles bit back an unpleasant feeling as he sensed the man’s disgust at the skin contact. But the school was regulated and to every standard they had sent. They would have to try very difficult to find fault in the school and Xavier found peace in that.

He waved off the inspectors as they entered their cars and exited the campus, all of them murmuring their discomfort about being around so many of ‘ _them’_.

“They were a very strained bunch to be around.” A thickly accented voice called.

“Hmm. Inspectors are always like that.” Charles said with a tired yawn, “Thank you for coming in to meet them.”

Shiro nodded politely as he stood next to Hank and Xavier. In line with several other requirements, each member of staff needed to submit their qualifications as well as undergo a brief mental assessment by the group. In all his years teaching, Shiro had never undergone such trials to simply teach.

“I thought they were assholes.” Jamie spat as he entered the entry to the mansion, “Kept asking how I can teach sport if I can’t handle physical contact. Pack of racists.”

“That…is a good question.” Shiro frowned, “How _do_ you teach sport, given your powers?”

Jamie spluttered and made several waving hands gestures.

“I don’t need to be hit or to hit something to show kids how to run track.”

“Just make sure you don’t trip.” Hank smiled and Jamie crossed his arms.

“Very funny.”

“Thank you both.” Charles said, rotating so he could look at them, “For staying. We couldn’t do this without you.”

Jamie shifted uncomfortably but nodded.

“Someone’s gotta make sure Marrow doesn’t knife a kid.”

“Is that likely?” Hank asked with concerned.

“Ah…fifteen per cent chance? Maybe ten? Depends on her mood and if she’s still moody.”

“I heard you handled yourself well in the sewers.” Shiro said passively and Jamie chewed on his tongue.

“Yeah?” He asked tersely, “You should come next time. Those flames could come in real use.”

“Perhaps.” Shiro nodded, “I will have to make sure I do not run into any dogs if I join a mission.”

Jamie glowered at the reference and took a step forward.

“For now,” Charles interrupted, “if you could both focus on preparing for classes. I don’t need the quality of education to drop to staff conflict.”

“Of course.” Shiro said with a light inclining of his head.

“Yeah, okay, boss.” He said, waggling his brows at Shiro, “I’ll just be on standby for next time.”

***

Jean slapped Scott’s shoulder again, frowning at him and mouthing at the teen to be quiet. They were waiting by Jean’s door, silently looking out to make sure no one else was leaving their rooms. Even though it was past ten and he had a telepath near him, Scott didn’t trust that a student wouldn’t leave their room to use the restroom or something.

Kurt was late. He was meant to be here five minutes ago. Scott tried to check his watch again but between his red glasses and the lack of colour in the evening, it was a pointless exercise. Jean mentally reached about again. She, too, was growing tired of just standing around waiting.

And then their surroundings warped as a violent pressure pulled at their stomachs and spewed them forwards. Coughing at the immense odour that forced itself way into their nostrils, they noticed they were finally in the attic. Several old sofas and plump cushions were thrown around in a ‘U’ shape, with a small pile of snacks and deserts placed on a small table in the middle. Around them, were _many_ alcoholic drinks. Aside from that, the attic was abandoned aside from the odd box or dirty book.

Kurt smiled at them apologetically.

“Zorry. Vi had to avoid some of ve others.” He explained and Dominikos, sitting stiffly behind the blue mutant, tried to nod in his brace.

“His…His…Hisako is pacing again.”

“Should we invite her?” Peter asked, suddenly appearing in front of them as he reached for a beer.

“She is fourteen.” Ororo stated in aghast.

“Well, I didn’t know that.” Peter said as he touched his chest, “I don’t keep a record of everyone’s ages.”

“I…might if I were you.” Jean said and Jubilee gave her a silent and sneaky glare.

The redhead gently held Scott’s hand and pulled into a couch, cuddling into his side as he wrapped his arm over her shoulder. Peter was immediately next to Dominikos and Kurt on the long sofa, the latter of whom was frowning at the beverages.

“Vere iz ve water?”

“You’ve had wine before.” Peter scoffed after taking a sip.

“Ja.”

“What about out of church?” Ororo asked, a small smile quickly appearing.

“Oh. Nien.” He shook his head, “Ve thought of being drunk iz…Ah…”

“Unappealing?” Jean offered and he smiled at her, nodding, “He doesn’t need to drink, Pete.”

“Aren’t you meant to be a responsible adult?” Scott asked with a chuckle.

Peter flipped him off. Jean mentally reached down and made Scott gasp softly as a beer floated into his hand. She winked at him before grabbing her own levitating drink and opening it.

“That’s just fucking showing off.” Jubilee whined as she appeared, two bottles of vodka in hand.

Kurt’s eyes widened at the sight of the liquids, leading to Ororo patting his knee. A sight that wasn’t unnoticed by Jean or Jubilee.

“We will be mature.” The white-haired girl nodded.

The sentence soon lost validity as Ororo very quickly revealed her own, much smaller, bottle of whiskey from her satchel.

“Going for the hard shit.” Peter grimaced, “Fuck.”

“I do not like the taste of many alcoholic drinks. This, I find pleasant.” She explained as she poured herself a small glass, “Are you sure you will not try a small test?”

Kurt chuckled lightly.

“Do not tempt me, devil.” 

Jubilee turned to Jean and raised a subtle brow. _What the fuck’s going on between those two?_ She mentally asked. _If Ororo is getting more sex…than me…from_ Kurt _…I will murder someone._ Jean shook her head, fighting off the smile. Dominikos stared at the collections of glasses eerily.

“Do…Do you have pl-plastic?” He asked but something was thrown in his lap a moment later.

“Got you covered.” Peter said as he finished his drink, “So, kids, school starts in a few days. Party’s done. Who’s keen?”

“I am very excited. And nervous.” Ororo admitted, tasting her burning liquid.

“An American school sounds exciting.” Kurt added, “Zo fast paced.”

“We’re gonna have more seniors.” Jubilee moaned, “I liked being the big kid in class.”

“Jubilee.” Jean said carefully, “You’ve never been big in any class.”

Several chuckles escaped the others and Jubilee’s cheeks went red. _You’re just jealous I’m big in places you’re flat._ Jeaned coughed on her beer and shot a warning stare at the giggling girl. Scott raised a brow before catching on.

“Can we agree not to have telepathic convos tonight?” He suggested and Dominikos nodded.

“Fine. I’ll be boring like you all are.” Jean said, sticking her tongue out to Scott.

“Vi am not boring.” Kurt said adamantly, “Vi can teleport. And speak two languages. And have a tail.”

“Ever gotten freaky with that thing?” Peter asked with a sceptical look, “I mean…Like, it’s another limb, right?”

“Peter!” Ororo scolded, throwing a pillow at him.

One he easily avoided. Kurt was a deep indigo now and tried to hide in his sofa. Scott took a deep sip of his drink before looking at his friend.

“But can you _feel_ the pointed part?”

“Ja.”

“Does it hurt using it in a fight, then?”

Kurt rolled his lips around as he thought.

“Nien. Vit goes numb mostly.” He was about to continue but squeaked as Jubilee leaned over silently to poke his tail’s tip.

“So, you can feel that?”

“Vhy iz everyone fascinated by vi tail?”

“Maybe because we don’t have one.” Peter said matter-of-factly as he got another beer.

“Vot iz it like being on a different time system?” Kurt asked Peter, who simply shrugged.

“Frustrating because all you bitches are slow as hell.” A flash of genuine frustrated appeared before fading, “I forgive you guys for it.” 

Jubilee let out a deep sigh as she took the first sip of her rather potent vodka. The trio of boys could smell it well over two metres away. It smelled like paint remover that they used in hell itself. Kurt looked tipsy just by being near it. Ororo offered the smaller girl a polite smile.

“Where did you get that?”

“Some guy bought it for me.”

“Who?” Jean asked with a frown.

“Someone who wanted in get in these pants.” She clicked her tongue, “He didn’t. Wasn’t happy when I mentioned the powers thing.”

“Lame.” Peter said before quickly adding, “On his part. His loss.”

“Well, Pete, if you-”

“So,” Jean cut in, hoping to avoid facilitating a state crime, “Thoughts on the newbies?”

“Which one?” Scott asked with a snort, “The assassin, the Olympic leaper or the bone throwing murderer?”

“That woman thr…Thr…She uses bones?” Dominikos asked nervously.

“Yeah.” Peter said slowly, “I wouldn’t upset her, dude. She literally pulls bones out of her skin. Apparently, Beast saw it.”

“Gross.” Dominikos grimaced and he finished his wine quickly.

“Should you be drunk?” Peter asked, “Just saying…The whole…earthquake…thing…”

“Avalanche.” Dominikos corrected, “I once caused an…avalanche. Apparently, it made sk-sk-skiing season amazing the next year.” He laughed and Scott joined him, not used to seeing him actually joke about his powers.

“At least it ain’t concussive beams out of the eyes.” Scott said, gesturing to his face before grabbing his second beer.

“Vi am blue.” Kurt said indignantly, “With a tail. And vou complain?”

Scott froze and awkwardly cleared his throat.

“Look, man, I meant no…”

The sound of an almost childish laugh made him stop and roll his eyes. Kurt stopped laughing after several minutes, patting himself on the knee.

“Zorry. Vou both did not offend ve.”

“You’re a dick.” Scott sighed, “You two got any college ideas? I’m fucking stuck on mine.”

Peter shrugged and immediately went for another drink, hoping Jubilee would cover for him. He wanted to relax tonight and not panic about his future. The flustered girl near him merely stared at Scott, suddenly feeling crushed from all sides from social pressure. She wanted to avoid this as well. She tried to answer twice but simply looked like a small, round cheeked fish opening and closing its mouth. Scott nodded in understanding.

“Good to see we’re all on the same level.”

“I am glad we at least have one more year.” Ororo asked before turning to Kurt, “How old are you? I need to know for your gift.”

“Vi have no idea.” Kurt admitted with a shrug, “Vi vink vi am turning seventeen.” 

“He could be eighteen already.” Peter said before chuckling, “Be careful on who you hit on.”

“Vi am not concerned about vat.” Kurt said, “Vomen do not…ah. Vi am not focussed on…”

As he was rambling, Jean silently slid her eyes to look at Ororo to gauge her reaction to the topic. Her eyes were met. Neither of them said anything or let any expression show on their faces. Ororo raised her brow ever so slightly before turning back to look at the stammering boy across from her. Jean leaned backwards, resisting the urge to smile. So, Jubilee was onto something. Judging the lack of proximity, she doubted they’d gone far. And that was amusing they’d even officially started anything yet.

The night drew on steadily as the amount of liquor increasingly disappeared. Peter challenged a completely sober Nightcrawler to another round of tag. One that promptly ended as Peter ran into the wall and crashed into another sofa. His leg was not broken, however. Jean was quickly understanding why being a tipsy telepath was not a wise invention. The thoughts of her equally drunken friends were pouring into her mind. Suffice to say, she didn’t need to know what Jubilee wanted to do to Peter or what Ororo was thinking of offering to do to Kurt. Oddly enough, even when _sober,_ Kurt’s mind wasn’t entirely pure. Particularly when Ororo _insisted_ on proving how she had mastered floating…directly above him. Dominikos was the most restrained out of them aside from Kurt. Given his vertigo, having more than two drinks was more than he could afford. Even with those two drinks, he was shaking softly as he rose and led himself to the door. Scott whispered to himself in panic as he felt the floor tremble as the Greek teen headed to his room.

Peter rolled himself up and smiled weakly as Jubilee as she crawled towards him, mirroring the stance a lizard would take on the hot floor. Soon, she rolled to her side and smiled back up at him. A smile that turned into a weak frown.

“Why do you always ignore me?” She whispered.

“I’ve…I’ve been talking to you for the last three hours.” He said, quickly sobering up once he realised where this was heading.

“You know what I…What I mean. Idiot. Jerk.” She glared at the wooden planks beneath them as she spoke, “Am I not your type?”

“Jubes…” He said carefully, “I’m old, man. Like, old enough for this to be a problem.”

“Only if we fuck.” She argued.

Her eyes were clearly struggling to focus on him. Her cheeks were red and her forehead was damp. Peter sighed and stroked his jaw as he looked down at the drunken girl. He just felt guilt and bad for her. She was a nice girl. A hell of a lot better than the girls he had known in his school. He fucking hated it. He’d rather her be annoying than actually cool. And this wasn’t the type of conversation to be had drunk.

“Look,” He said in a low tone, making sure the others were distracted amongst themselves, “You’re really hot. Like…Really fucking hot. And smart. And actually, really cool. Like, you _get it._ But I’m almost a full decade older.”

“Eight years. Or was it seven?” Jubilee frowned as she tried to do the math.

“Enough to get me in jail.”

“Then let’s just _date_ and not have sex. My birthday is soon, anyway. I’ll be legal. Let’s wait, dude. I’m not a slut. You…You don’t think I’d want to bang immediately?” Her lower lip trembled slightly.

“Oh, shit, no. No.” Peter quickly answered, “I think…” He sighed and then smiled at her, squeezing her hand softly, “When you’re sober and if you remember this and still want this, let’s chat. We can…We can work something out. If…If you’re serious.” He said, suddenly feeling a level of insecurity his usual boyish self wasn’t accustomed to.

She smiled lazily and squeezed his hand back. _Tightly._

“I’ll remember this. And believe me,” Her voice became low and thick, “I want this.”

Peter’s mouth went dry and instantly appeared next to Ororo. The girl was busy attempting to form the words required to ask Kurt if he wanted to watch _Lost in Space_ with her. Despite it being well past midnight and the recreation rooms being two floors below. Kurt looked up and smiled, clearly no longer feeling anxious around his intoxicated friends. He dreaded them screaming or shouting things. Of becoming violent or aggressive. The team simply seemed content huddling into pairs for some reason and he was happy with that.

“Hey, ah, Ororo.” Peter said, drawing the girl’s attention from Kurt and making her frown, “Can you take Jubes in? She’d had…” He looked back at the nearly sleeping girl cuddling a pillow, “Yeah, do I need to explain?” 

Ororo adopted a surprisingly sour expression and said nothing as she rose. Peter stepped back, still feeling uneasy around the former Horsemen. While she was earning his trust, the girl was still intimidating to him. And the fact Psylocke, another Horsemen, was now here only worsened the remaining anxiety he had. Ororo tossed him a filthy look but continued forwards, carefully pulling a dozy Jubilee to her feet. She mouthed ‘ _Sweet dreams’_ to Kurt before whispering sweet nothings to the drunk girl in her hands as they went to the door.

“Well,” Peter clicked his tongue, “If Jubilee ain’t the giveaway we’ve been drinking…”

“Vi vill clean up.” Kurt offered softly.

He didn’t get to stand, however. Peter smiled at him, standing in a slightly different position from before. The glasses, the snacks, the alcohol. They had vanished.

“Vere…are vey?”

“Bin and my secret stash.” Peter shrugged.

“Vi have…a very secret place…for the liquids?” Kurt said and Peter laughed, nodding with a wide smile.

“Yeah, man. Go for it.” He said, reappearing with a bag of half empty bottles, “I’m gonna head to bed. Catch you in the morning? Night kids.” He called back to Scott and Jean.

The two were busy playing a slapping game with their hands and giggling. Scott waved and Jean smiled as Peter disappeared and Kurt, after shyly waving also, disappeared in smoke. They were alone. Finally alone. Scott’s pulse quickened at the thought and Jean turned to him, noticing his cheeks suddenly become a much deeper red.

“Are they coming back?” He asked and she mentally observed them.

“No. Peter’s already in bed and Kurt’s praying. Why?”

He fidgeted and for a moment Jean thought something was wrong. He leaned up and, with twitching hands, pulled out something from the back of his pants. Goggles. Well, a mix between goggles and glasses. They had the same ruby quartz lens as all Scott’s other pairs. But the band linking one side to the other looking tight and strong. Jean was confused for a moment before remembering. Her cheeks went as ruby as the glasses and she giggled softly.

“Holy shit. Doctor McCoy actually made them?”

“He, um, yeah. I found them on my bed two days ago. He’s been avoiding me since.” He explained, “If…If you want…We can wait. I just thought…You know. It’s rare to be alone. Here.”

She nodded in agreement. They were in a boarding school with a telepath as headmaster. And she knew Kurt often hid here at random times, so they couldn’t rely on the attic at all times. Times like this would be hard to come by, especially as school began again. Her lips were dry.

“Do you have…You know.” 

He shyly nodded and pulled out a condom. Three of them. She smiled and gave him a quizzical stare.

“Just in case.” He shrugged weakly, “How…Do you want me…Do you my shirt off or?”

“Scott, shut up and get the glasses on.” She rolled her eyes, smiling to herself as she tried to relax her tightening stomach.

He hastily closed his eyes and yanked off his glasses, replacing them with the constricting pair. It took a moment to get used to them as he felt some of his hair tear under the pressure of the metallic rubber band. He opened his eyes and froze. Jean had her shirt off and was shyly crossing her arms around her chest.

“You’re…” He stopped to compose himself, “You’re beautiful.” He said sincerely as he leant over.

He kissed her softly. One she returned with the same nervousness. But nerves eased into comfort as they relax into each other. They had kissed many a time and this was the one element of tonight that they could feel entirely comfortable in. Scott shifted and pulled Jean onto his lap, feeling their chests press against one another. The kissing grew stronger as they felt the heat from each other’s body.

“You can look.” Jean said softly, leaning back and placing her hands on Scott’s shoulder.

His previous statement about her beauty was the truest thing he’d ever said, in his mind. Even with the red tinge of his vision, he could make out the swells of her chest and the colour differences between breast and small areola. He gestured to them and she nodded softly. Gently, he reached out to cup and weigh them. She moaned loudly at the sensation as he explored her. Quite simply, it was the softest piece of skin he’d ever felt. He took time to carefully explore her. The rise of skin and flesh. The different textures. The way she made different sounds as he touched different places. The hardening of her skin under his thumb. She was beautiful and part of him questioned if this were a drunken dream. 

Gathering some courage, he leaned forward to taste her. She ached her back and moaned again, feeling his hasty and desperate kisses across her chest. He was eager and she wanted to chuckle at him. It was cute. And then she gasped as she felt teeth encase her right breast.

“Careful.” She breathed. “Sensitive.”

He immediately stopped and resumed kissing instead. On the rare occasion that he used his teeth, it was careful and clearly done so with a level of fear of hurting her. She playfully pushed him back, grabbing the base of his shirt and yanked it over his head. His new glasses didn’t move at all. She needed to send the Doctor a gift or something for this. She traced the forming muscles and bit back a moan. He was lean and strong for his age. The exercises and training had made her a very happy girl. She, too, took her time exploring his chest. She traced each bruise and healing cut. He moaned as she traced his nipples and collar bone. Finishing at his lower lip, she smiled softly and kissed him again.

A kiss that ended with her leaning back and rising to her feet. Her face darkened again as she unbuttoned her jeans and slowly placed them on the ground. From Scott’s limited vision, he guessed her underwear was blue.

“Green.” She said, guessing his question.

“Thanks.” He chuckled sheepishly before standing up as well.

With a very deep sigh, he took his own jeans off. Along with his underwear. Jean’s mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ as she saw him. Not that it was the first time, given she’d orally relieved him before. But given their current situation, she suddenly felt very overwhelmed by it.

“We can stop.” Scott offered in an uncertain tone.

She smiled and shook her head as she leaned into kiss him. After about two seconds, Scott felt Jean hold his hands and place them on her hips. On her hips as she was drawing down the final barrier. He broke off the kiss and swallowed a lump in his throat. Slowly, he dropped to his knees below her. She had what he guessed were dark red curls. Beautiful legs. He was eager to repay her for all the times she’d helped him. The taste surprised him. It was strong and unlike anything else. A bit acidic but also tangy.

She gasped as she played with his hair, watching him as he made her toes twisted. He was impatient, though. And very quick.

“Slow.” She whined as he rapidly pressed against her bud, “Sensitive. Just…tease. Slow. Yeah. Just…like…Fuck.” She moaned as he slowly traced her, “A bit more to the left. More.” She whimpered, her voice cracking, “Yeah, Scott. Right there. Do that again.”

Scott did whatever she commanded. He was simply enjoying the reactions he earned. It took a few minutes of guidance before Scott discovered new areas she loved. New sensitivities. Ways of moving his tongue. It took a few minutes longer for her whining and wrapping of the legs around his shoulders to signal her end. He was somewhat grateful, too. He was quickly discovering new ways of developing lockjaw. After a moment, he sat on the sofa again and gently caressed the painting redhead next to him. One that gripped him and made him grunt.

“Ready?” She asked and he nodded.

He leant over to grab the wrapper and carefully prepared himself as Jean laid her back down on the long sofa. He crawled above her.

“Ready?” He repeated and she nodded, noticing how she’d finally stop blushing at this point.

She felt pressure. A lot of pressure. One that escalated into tight pain. She touched his chest, signalling his pause. She was grunting uneasily and took a moment to breathe. She nodded and he held her hip and thigh, moving slowly. He would press further and she would stop him. The process continued for several moments until she whimpered next to his throat. Their hips had met. She silently cursed and then she felt him begin to retract. Slowly. He was learning. It was a difficult lesson to adhere to. For Scott, the sensation was incredible. Heat. Wetness. Tightness encasing _every_ part of him. He found new sensitivities in new areas. It took a lot of mental restraint to not rush the process and begin bucking into her deeper and faster.

They developed an awkward, unsteady rhythm as they went. Jean relaxed into his arms as the pain and stretch eased. There was still discomfort. It was just that pleasure was becoming increasingly loudly. She blushed as she moaned loudly after one particularly deep thrust, one that pressure into something good.

“Again.” She mumbled and he repeated the slow, long thrust.

She gasped as she wrapped her arms around his flexing shoulders. Scott’s humid face was the picture of concentration. She was beautiful, moaning, and _tight._ Not a great combination for a virgin. As he continued his deep presses into her, he felt her body pull him deeper each time. Each time signalling how close he was to the end. He looked up at her desperately and she quickly understood.

“Lean up.” She whispered and he awkwardly pulled himself up on the sofa.

Reaching down, she moaned as she stared into his shielded eyes. Between the sensation of his thrusts and her fingertips on her bud, she hoped to go with him. A romantic notion for two sexual newcomers that abruptly ended as Scott let out a throaty gasp. She _felt_ him pulse within and she hastily attempted to match him. But it was too late. He stayed within her for a moment but was gently easing out by the time she felt herself nearing her end as well. He leaned down and matched her fingers with his own and she squeaked. The added sensation, as well as the fact they’d finally made love, pushed her into the end. With a loud moan, she left her fingers dampen and her body stiffen. Before collapsing.

Scott froze as several books, cushions and other random objects also dropped. He didn’t even notice they were floating. Neither of them had. He smiled as he kissed her again. One she was too lazy to return.

“Good?” He panted.

“Good.” 

***

A/N: Hi all! I hope you’re all having a lovely weekend. Thank you all for reading and for those leaving kudos. It’s incredibly nice of you all.

Sorry for the late update. Just getting into the swing of a new position. And hopefully this wasn’t too long. I wanted to get a few scenes done sooner than later for the sake of not making this an overly long fic. And hopefully the intimacy scene was done okay for everyone and tastefully? If anyone has any complaints or feedback, please feel free to review.

Next chapter will be the beginning of the school year as the villain begins to make their presence known again. I also want to build more on Raven/Beast, as well Marrow and the dynamic between Elizabeth, Ororo and Erik. Hopefully you enjoy and I hope everyone has a fantastic week.


	10. What Lurks in Shadows...

The first movement of pain that Jean felt as she arose from tossed sheets originated from within in her head. A throbbing, lethargic wave of pain that slowly slid its way through the tunnels of her brain. It caused a low, shaky groan to escape her as she rolled and sat on the edge of her bed. She felt mildly nauseous. And then she noticed the second source of pain. A mild, very deep ache that pulsed every time she moved her legs or hips. Deep muscles she didn’t know could be sore. And then she paused, her cheeks flushed as she remembered what caused the minor irritation. She idly turned back to her bed and saw it was empty. Of course it was. Scott had gone to his own room. It’d be stupid for him to stay with her. Still, she sulked as she gathered her strength and some clothes.

The process of getting to the bathroom took mildly longer than usual. With each step, she became increasingly self-conscious about the way she was walking. Not that there was anything different about her stride, however. The mild throbbing simply incensed her paranoid self-image. The sex wasn’t even rough. But, she had heard it was normal to be a little sore after the first time. She was just thankful it wasn’t anything more than an annoyance.

Jean was not the only one having issues in the girl’s bathroom. As she entered, she heard someone coughing violently in one of the stalls. Peeking down, the girl noticed an overtly bright yellow and blue creature.

“You okay?” Jean croaked and she heard a flush.

Jubilee stumbled out and Jean’s eyes widened. She was pale, with very noticeable patches under her lazy eyes. Her hair was a messy and clearly the overly fashionable girl had not bothered tending to it this morning. The small girl moaned as she ran her mouth under the tap. She gingerly pulled out her toothbrush following this.

“How much did you have?” The redhead asked in concern and Jubilee shrugged sluggishly.

“Enough to have made mistakes.” She looked at Jean’s reflection in the mirror, “I think I vomited on Ororo. And by think…”

Jubilee shook her head and continued cleaning her teeth and mouth. On the plus side, at least Jean wasn’t in the worst shape this morning. She allowed the feverish girl to clean herself before the pair slowly and carefully made their way through the mildly busy corridor. The others were making their way to breakfast, it seemed. The flood of company and noise was not welcomed by the pair. Their eyes were wide and overly cautious of being noticed in their current state.

“We just need…to eat. And then disappear today. Hide in the mall. I like that idea.” Jubilee mumbled to herself as she clung to the stair rail.

As they reached ground floor, they spotted Ororo. Or rather, a shadow of what Ororo used to be. The girl was leaning heavily against a wall, sweating profusely, and looking very disorientated by her surroundings. Her typically confident stance was replaced by a small hunch. Last night was clearly the first time she had ever drunk more than a glass or two. That much was certain. She straightened poorly as she saw Jean but immediately glared at Jubilee.

“I,” She began with a dry voice, “have been in the laundry all morning thanks to you. You have ruined my favourite pair of socks.”

Jubilee groaned as she rubbed her eyes. It was difficult for her to focus.

“How much do I owe you?”

“How much air freshener can you afford?”

The trio made their way into the dining room where Hank and several students on kitchen duty were placing cereal boxes, toast and eggs on the long tables. The Professor was missing, but Raven and Miss Blaire were seated at the far end of one of the tables eating in silence. Good. They could go unnoticed. Jean looked around for Scott and soon noticed he was occupying a table with Kurt. Peter and Dominikos were missing entirely. Perhaps they were sleeping it off? Scott smiled tiredly as he stood up to kiss Jean on the cheek. It was laboured, forced effort. He, too, was sweating heavily.

“Girls.” He whispered.

Kurt offered them a polite wave. One that got increasingly nervous as he made eye contact with Ororo. He quickly returned to his attention to Scott. Ororo said nothing, content to mewl over the interaction curiously.

“We all feeling good?” Scott asked as he yawned.

“Do I look like I am?” Jubilee spat.

“Vou look…nice?” Kurt offered and Jubilee rolled her eyes.

Eyes that suddenly widened as she stiffly held onto the table for all life was worth.

“Breathe.” Jean whispered, “You need to breathe.” 

“Are you okay, Miss Lee?”

Hank was leaning over them, a large serving tray of eggs in his hand. He was staring at the queasy girl closely with mild concern. She was unusually pale and quiet. In most mornings, she’d be fighting for leftovers with the staff members.

“Food poisoning.” She whispered, “Do you have any painkillers?”

Hank nodded as he put the food down.

“I’ll get some now. If it gets worse, please tell someone to get me and I’ll meet you in the medical station near the stairs.”

Jubilee silently agreed and watched as he disappeared towards his office. Scott turned to the others.

“If it makes you feel better, you guys didn’t forget you had a meeting with Mr. Yoshida today.” A deep sigh escaped him, “Man, I’m fucked.”

“Vi can attend vith vou?” Kurt suggested but Scott was too busy rolling his head on the cool and relaxing table.

Last night was incredible. But part of Scott wanted to die for the sins he was now suffering for.

***

Raven forced a polite smile as a small student waved at her. She was politely advised glaring at young children was not acceptable in a school. A fact she hated. At least most of the children were eating by now. It meant she could pass into the female staff quarters without much interruption. Raven strode silently, lost in preparing her upcoming conversation, and barely heard someone call her name. She came to a stop as Hank jogged to her side.

“How do you feel?” He asked as he looked her over.

“Fine?” She said briskly, “Why?”

“Several students appear to have food poisoning. A lot of them are nauseous. I was wondering if everyone had eaten similar foods. We just changed to a new supplier for the next school year.”

Raven rolled her eyes. Every second week there was one issue or another with the meals they ordered for the children.

“I’m fine. Maybe just give them some meds and let them sleep it off?” She suggested as she continued walking.

He followed her.

“Will do.” He said softly, “Plans for the day?”

“Hank. You’re following me again.” She sighed and he crossed his arms.

“Can’t I take a vested interested in an old friend?”

“It’s weird when it’s someone you used to sleep with.” She snorted and they both let out a soft grin, “I wanna chat with Marrow about the guy you’re tryna track. She might know something Callisto didn’t tell.”

“Well,” Hank leaned in and spoke softly, “Ask her if the name _William Rolfson_ means anything.”

“Who’s that?” She asked with genuine interest.

“A former student we taught when the school first opened. One from Denver and one that has very similar powers that Erik described.”

She paused and raised a brow at him before looking around to ensure they were alone.

“Charles thinks it’s a former student?”

“I do. Maybe. I don’t know.” He admitted with a sigh, “But you have to admit that those variables are specific. Charles doesn’t want to talk about it but we’re both looking into it. In our own ways.”

“I don’t want to be there when if he discovers this is a former student.” She warned and he nodded, his face adopting a pale, thinly expression.

“If you could ask Marrow? See if she knows a little more?”

“Of course.” She nodded and Hank beamed at her.

“Thanks.” He said as he squeezed her arm.

She slowly titled her head to look at his large hand and he immediately pulled it away.

“Sorry.” He stammered, “Old habits.”

“From twenty years ago.” She smirked, “No cute girls since?”

“Not really.” He admitted but let out a shy chuckle, “Not many like you.”

She scoffed and crossed her arms, grinning at him with some level of pride.

“When did you get confident?”

“I fought off Sebastian Shaw, Erik, the Sentinels and Apocalypse.” He shifted his feet a little as he formed a smirk, “You don’t immediate me, Raven.”

A dry laugh echoed down the empty corridor. While he may be more confident, he was still the wide-eyed boy she met decades ago. It was in his eyes…He was still shy and nervous at heart. He was just better at hiding it.

Raven smiled and took her turn to squeeze his arm, feeling the leanly sewn muscles underneath his baggy business shirt.

“We’ll see about that. Have a pleasant day, Doctor McCoy.”

“You too, Miss Darkholme.” 

She watched as he sped away, his confidence finally stepping aside as his nerves set back in. She smiled again, remembering an identical pace he used to adopt when he visited her room in the CIA base. A fond memory that faded once she remembered why she was in this end of the mansion. She gave several knocks on the wooden door and waited for a reply. It took longer than she wanted and she frowned at the pink haired woman when she actually bothered to open the door. Raven had better things to do, after all. The pink haired woman froze as she saw the blue woman in front of her. The _hero._ Her snark melted into nervousness as she tried to understand why the famous mutant was in front of her. Flyers and images of the blue women _flooded_ the Morlock sanctuary ever since her actions a decade ago. The one that made mutants revealed on an international level. The one that made humans try to accept some of them. What irritation and bluster Marrow once had, faded the moment she opened the door.

“Sorry for disrupting your clearly busy day.” Raven grunted, “I wanted to talk.”

Marrow peaked around suspiciously and felt her stomach tighten when she noticed they were alone. She didn’t like being cornered like this. In the sewers, bad things would happen with this type of preamble. She silently stepped aside and let the blue woman in. The room was empty yet still somehow messy. The three sets of clothes she’d been given were tossed everywhere and the bed was a plain mess yet she only had two sheets.

“I won’t keep you…long.” Raven said as she sat at the study desk, “I wanted to know about a mutant that visited the Morlocks at least once.”

Marrow said nothing. So, she wanted information. Odd. But as she, along with Mortimer, were the only Morlocks here, at least former Morlocks, she guessed she was their representative. The woman didn’t sit or move. She just stood stiffly by the doorway. Her wide, distrusting eyes never left the older woman.

“There was a mutant with the power of emitting radiation that once visited you. They asked about Magneto.” Marrow was silent and her face blank, “He attacked Callisto when he didn’t get the information he wanted. He’s from Denver. That’s all we know. What do _you_ know?”

Marrow continued her mute expression and her wary appraisal of Raven. Her body was stiff but twitchy. She was ready to move the moment Raven gave her any reason to. The latter sighed.

“I’m not going to hurt you. None of us are. Charles is…too soft for that treatment.” Nothing. “He’s attacking other mutants. We need help in stopping him.” Silence, “Look, _Marrow,_ we have _children_ we need to protect. We need to know if that man is still tracking Magneto and if he is a threat to the kids.”

The last point made her face tighten as she crossed her arms. This place was unique for mutant children. A school with an actually welcoming environment. Something she’d never had. Something she wished the Morlocks could contend with one day.

“Mastermind knew him.” She said in a weak, uncertain tone, “That’s how the man knew where we were. I don’t know… _how_ they knew each other. They just did. From what Mastermind told me, the mutant disappears. No telepath can find him and no mutant tracking ability can hunt him. He’s a shadow. And he scared Mastermind. Mastermind just…He used to give the guy information on other mutants. There was a silent deal that happened between them. The guy gave Mastermind stuff from the upper world. Televisions, currencies, radios.”

“How do you know this?”

“Because after the attack on Callisto, Mastermind came to me panicked.” Her face dropped into fear as she recalled the events in her head, “He said he couldn’t feel his mind when he attacked.”

“Was he wearing a metal helmet?”

“No.” Marrow shook her head, “Let me continue. He couldn’t feel _his_ mind. There was someone else in his head. A force or something. Something telepathic that terrified Mastermind enough to not even try to use his powers to help Callisto.”

“Why didn’t he tell Callisto afterwards? He would have looked like a coward afterwards.”

“He passed out, like the rest of us, when the radiation hit us. He blamed that and Callisto accepted it. She was too busy helping Healer fix the sick and the victims to really care about Mastermind.”

“Did you get a name?”

“No.”

“Does the name William Rolfson mean anything to you?”

She paused but soon shook her head. She was still apprehensive.

“Mastermind is an extremely powerful mutant. He was able to mess with Xavier’s mind. And Mastermind was _terrified_ of what he felt. If you’re going after that man…I want _nothing_ to do with any of you. Do you understand? Nothing.”

***

Jubilee finished her fourth cookie as she watched Jean closely. The girl was just atrocious at giving details. Hangover aside, the descriptions of last night were simply pathetic in the eyes of the pigtailed girl. After all, she had been the one to ask why Jean was suddenly so gingerly and pressed it further when Jean tried deflecting. She had been the one to interrogate the evidence closely. And she was the one to finally surmise what had occurred. And, as she stretched her legs on the grass, she was not able to tolerate the dribble anymore.

“-nd he was really swe-”

“Did you cum?”

“Jubilee!” Ororo whispered harshly.

If the weather witch had the strength, she’d slap the cheeky girl. But she was too content sitting and leaning against a thick tree as her stomach settled. The three of them were huddled under its shade, happy to simply avoid everyone as their bodies repaired last night’s damage. Jean blushed and shook her head, aghast at the question.

“I’m sensing a ‘ _no’_ ”.

“Well, actually…” Jean said irritably, looking away as she did so.

“Shit, really?” Jubilee looked at her suspiciously, “Are you _sure_ Scott was a virgin? Most guys need a year’s training to learn the flow of things.”

“A year?” Ororo asked in concern, her eyes wide.

“She’s joking. Or just had horrible sex.” Jubilee rolled her eyes and muttered something, “And I’m…pretty sure it was our first time.”

“He lasted a second, didn’t he?” Jubilee continued and Jean sighed in defeat.

“We’re not gonna let this drop, are we?”

“You’re the only one of us with an actual sex life.”

“I’ve had sex once.”

“More than Ororo. And far more recently than me.” Jubilee countered as she tried to find more food hidden in her bag, “We need to live through you, Jeanie. We don’t have many other options. Well,” Jubilee turned an eye to Ororo, “I don’t.”

Ororo leaned away from her tree and felt irritation flare at Jubilee’s insinuation. She was simply too hungover for this sassery.

“I do not know what you are referring to.” 

“So, no memories of floating in the air with your ass directly pointed at Kurt?”

Ororo mouth gaped slightly as she tried to rewind last night’s events. And her jaw locked as she swallowed nothingness. And the nausea in her gut was replaced by embarrassment, shame and the jitters. Enough to make her fall back into the emotional safety of the tree behind her. So, that was why Kurt was suddenly apprehensive around her…

“No. Gods, no.” She whimpered with her eyes shut, “What else did I do?”

“Nothing too bad. I think. I can’t really remember much other than that.” Jubilee admitted, “And Jean was too busy getting her back cushions pushed.”

“I was not!” Jean snapped before feeling smaller again, “We were…cuddling mostly.”

“Boring.” Jubilee yawned and Jean frowned.

“Sorry that it wasn’t like those sex books you hide under your bed.”

“You read erotic novels?” Ororo asked in a quiet, uncertain voice.

“I don’t have a sex life. So, yes, I have some fun novels.” She huffed as she pulled her knees into her chest, “What else have I got? And anyway, you have like five days to cram in as many booty calls as you can before the new students get here. Some of them are already comin’.” Jubilee said, nodding towards the several students Hank was currently touring the grounds with.

“I know.” Jean said miserably, “And Kurt’s always in the attic.”

“I can ask him to leave it alone for a night or two.” Ororo offered but soon regretted it.

“Back on topic. Thank you. So, how long’s that been a thing?” Jubilee asked gleeful.

Ororo’s cheeks flushed and she started playing with some grass between her fingers. There was no point in being subtle or coy now. Not after her display the evening before. She would never touch whiskey again.

“I do not know. He is…difficult to understand.”

“Have you actually asked him out?” Jean queried but Ororo lowered her head and shook it, “I’m pretty sure he’s interested. He, um, had some interesting thoughts last night.”

“You were reading our thoughts?” Jubilee squealed, her eyes wide with panic.

“I was tipsy and you were all screaming in your heads.” Jean defended, “I didn’t _try_ to.”

Ororo was almost shaking. The few thoughts she could remember having were…problematic. She stared at Jean, silently pleading with the redhead.

“I won’t spill what you guys were thinking. Relax.” She said before continuing, “Just…Maybe make a move. He’s a guy. He’s oblivious as fuck.”

“I don’t know. He wasn’t oblivious when he was staring at her ass all night.” Jubilee giggled and Ororo finally gathered the strength to throw a stick at her, “Alright, I’ll stop. But Jean’s right. Seriously. Make a move. He’s too shy to do it himself.”

Ororo was silent but she knew they were right. Kurt was simply too shy to make the first move. He was brave in battle, not when asking a girl to a movie. He was simply too…Kurt. It was just a matter of getting him alone, then. And comfortable with her. If he were in one of his skittish moods, it’d be a pointless and humiliating endeavour.

“Maybe a new student will make an attempt on you?” She said to Jubilee, trying to be as supportive as she could whilst shifting the attention away from her.

Jean said nothing as she remembered Jubilee rolling on the floor with Peter. It wasn’t her story to tell as far as she was concerned. Jubilee sighed deeply as she looked out to the grounds. She perched her lips.

“Maybe. God, just imagine someone actually being attractive _and_ not a tool.”

“Not all men are one or the other.” Ororo frowned but Jubilee shrugged, clearly unphased.

“Eh. Hence, I gave up on dating a _long_ ass while ago. Guys are just dicks.”

“I thought you were dating someone last month?” Jean smirked and Jubilee rolled her eyes.

“Justin. He was just obsessed with my tits. Was difficult to talk about movies we saw when his eyes were glued to my chest during the film. I dropped him after two attempts at a normal conversation.” She said through gritted teeth, “I haven’t _dated_ or been with a guy for…God knows. I don’t even groom anymore. That’s _how long_ it’s been.”

Ororo titled her head slightly at the term and Jean sighed, thinking of how to word it politely.

“Trimming or removing certain parts of hair. Down south.” She said as politically as she could.

Ororo quickly understood and hummed to herself.

“It was occasionally common in Egypt. A lot of Western influence and all.” She said, trying to act maturely and not blatantly shy on the matter.

“Ever done it or is Kurt gonna need to navigate the Amazon?”

Another stick was hurled and caught Jubilee in the knee. Ororo was thankful for the hue of her skin. It made hiding a blush so much easier.

***

It took Shiro all of three seconds to understand why Scott was so sweaty and lethargic. The smell of beer and vodka didn’t help the young man’s attempt to appear casual as he staggered into the wide dome. Still, the older man said nothing as he stared at the Danger Room console. It was a marvellous piece of engineering. When Hank showed him, as well as the other teachers, it for the first time, Shiro was simply speechless.

The man undid his ebony tie as he noticed Hank returning to the room shortly after Scott stumbled in. He carefully folded and placed it gently by his feet.

“Sorry. Had to chase up Raven over something.” Hank explained sheepishly and Shiro nodded.

“No need to apologise. I am your student here.” The older man said with a faint smile, “If you could please set up the…box session we were discussing.”

Scott watched apprehensively as Hank activated one of the modules, Shiro mentally noting the latter’s every action. They chose the one where dozens of steel cubes are shot at individuals by using modified baseball launchers. Scott closed his eyes as he replaced his glasses with his vizor. He couldn’t be bothered changing into his jumpsuit in this condition and thankfully Shiro hadn’t asked him to, either.

“Tell me, what happens when you remove your glasses or vizor?” Shiro asked, taking a few steps towards Scott.

“Things blow up.” Scott answered dully and Shiro smiled.

“Aside from that. What do you feel? Is there…a muscle that squeezes harder? Or, perhaps, a part of your mind that stings?”

Scott shrugged.

“Nothing…I don’t know.”

“Well, let us see.” Scott noticed Hank stiffen and look up from the console, “I want you to take off your vizor and stare directly at the stack of cubes.”

“Is that wise?” Hank whispered, “It’s a concussive blast that I’m _still_ trying to get energy readings on. It could knock through every wall in the sublevel for all I know.”

“A useful point.” Shiro conceded, “Scott, open them for a moment but close them after I tell you.”

Scott gave them both a nervous look but noticed Hank was silent. After a moment, he reluctantly and very slowly took them off. He grunted as the force of the blast almost knocked his intoxicated body back. He couldn’t see but from the sounds of crunching and crippling metal, he had clearly hit his target directly.

Shiro watched with fascination. The violent, flowing and fluctuating beam of red grew and weakened in power over and over again. The raw energy consuming and tearing apart any cube it touched. Within mere moments, all that was left of them were shattered piles scattered around the room. And then the beam started eating at the wall, ever hungry to push and break its way forward like a train through soap.

“Enough.” Shiro shouted and Scott immediately closed his eyes with a stumble.

The wall had several car sized dents in it. But it was still standing and with minimal damage. A fact Hank was thanking God for. An intrigued grin was on Shiro’s face as he marvelled at the power and its impact. It was unlike any power he had seen. Well, excluding himself of course.

“Incredible.”

“Speak for yourself.” Scott muttered, “It’s _incredible_ until you get knocked back or lose your step and fly back or you miss your target completely.”

“The power you must be able to summon…You truly are a powerful young man.” Shiro’s eagerness slummed into his usual stoicism, “All the more reason to train to master it. Tell me, did you feel any differences?”

“Honestly? No. It feels the same with or without the vizor. Or when I do or don’t focus. Or when I squint or not.” He sighed, “It’s all the same. Just…a force that knocks me back.”

“One that can hopefully be tamed.” Shiro murmured as he crossed his arms.

He turned to Hank.

“Tell me. What is the thickest piece of equipment you have?”

Hank’s response was a set of large concrete blocks that lifted the from the floor. The mechanics groaned and creaked as they struggled to lift the heavy objects onto the floor but they eventually succeeded. Barely. Originally designed to test Jean’s telekinesis in the coming months, they were easily two metres cubed in size. Shiro simply pointed to the blocks, all six of them. 

“Remove your glasses and destroy each of them. Take your time. I want to see what happens with…prolonged use of your powers.”

Taking one’s time for Scott was usually a very swift exercise. This was no exception. The blocks were laid to ruin and waste within five minutes, shattered and broken in thousands of shards and scattered through the room. Hank was already getting annoyed at the increasing cleaning requirement, but he remained silent. After the final cube split to an almost atomic level, Scott staggered back and put his vizor back on. A horrific pain shot through his brain while he panted, his mouth desperately dry.

“How do you feel?”

“Head.” He pants, “Headache.”

“Do you usually get them after using your powers often?”

“Yeah.” Scott admitted, “Got them for a while after Cairo.”

“Hmm.” Shiro looked at Hank, “Perhaps the powers put a strain on muscles? Or even the brain itself?”

“It increases his blood pressure.” Hank replied before addressing to his student, “Aside from that, I haven’t been able to see anything else the blasts do to your body, Scott.”

“Then…perhaps an experiment would do?” Shiro suggested carefully, “We take a month. Each day we take off your glass for ten minutes. And we see if the headaches increase or decrease. Acceptable?”

Scott took a moment to think and turned to Doctor McCoy. The older man was busy in thought as he idly stroked his chin.

“Sure. Why not?” Scott shrugged, “Not like it could get worse.”

“Even the most terrifying of powers can be honed, Mr. Summers.”

“Yeah?” Scott scoffed before gaining a competitive smirk, “What about yours? Still haven’t seen what yours can _actually_ do.” 

Shiro raised a single brow. Silently, he undid his cuffs and pulled his sleeves to elbows. He turned to the collection of smaller metal cubes that Scott had originally targeted. With an extension of his opened hands, Shiro shouted ferociously. The blue room flashed a brilliant red and yellow as two rows of unnaturally bright flames shrieked and crackled. Racing forward hungrily, the flames forcefully caressed the cubes like a lion would to a gazelle. Within only four seconds, Shiro straightened and pulled his hands back, dragging the flames back with him. Soon, all that was left was a molten pile of ooze on the floor.

“I would not go near that area of the room.” Shiro said with an unpleasant expression, “The flames are atomic.”

Hank turned to him but only sighed.

“It’ll take days to clean this room of radiation, Shiro.”

“No need. I can absorb it as well as generate it.” He explained before turning to Scott, “That power once consumed anything I touched. Now, they only listen to me.” He tapped near his eye, “And I believe the same will be said of your powers. It may just take time.”

“Decades.”

“If needed. But it is better to start a long journey that has a good ending than to just stay where there is none.”

“You love your poetry.” Scott said with a tired smile, “Okay, well the room is kinda ruined so…”

“We will continue tomorrow, if Doctor McCoy can procure some thick and solid targets?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Hank responded absently.

He was already on his way to the emergency cleaning station. While he trusted Shiro, Hank was not keen on letting radiation fester in a commonly used room. Scott chuckled as he watched his teacher practically sprint to get his equipment.

“He’s a bit…precious over his equipment and rooms.” Scott explained and Shiro nodded.

“He has no doubt had many of his inventions already broken. And Cerebro…It has been destroyed before?” Shiro queried and Scott nodded with a forlorn expression.

“My brother had to destroy it. Doc said Apocalypse was tryna communicate with the world through it. It’s why the bombs went off.” Scott’s expression grew even dower, “It was the day Alex died.”

“Trying to protect a friend and to stop an enemy.” Shiro began buttoning up his cuffs again, “You should be proud. And you did avenge him and bring justice to those that killed him.”

Scott grew pensive and Shiro easily read the growing uncertainty on his face.

“I don’t know if I did. I mean, it was all of us that screwed over Apocalypse. Even with Magneto and Ororo in the end.”

“Who were also Horsemen?” Shiro asked, vaguely remembering a conversation he shared with Xavier whilst being shown Cerebro for the first time, “People who aided the murderer of your brother.”

“I believe…I believe in second chances.” He said weakly, “Ororo’s really trying. And I believe her.”

“But the others?”

“Psylocke…is an assassin. She kills for money. And Erik…” Scott sighed, “Part of me really doesn’t know if they should be here. Erik especially. And he’s only a few metres away.”

“So, what do you propose? They are thrown from the school? Or turned over to whatever government wants them? Or, do we leave them for their enemies to find?” Shiro took several steps forward, “Or, do you want to bring justice to them yourself? For your brother.”

Scott swayed his head side to side slowly. He was silent. He simply didn’t know how to respond. In the days following Alex’s death, he was as angry as he was sad. In fact, had it not been for Xavier, he probably would have confronted Magneto as the latter was helping rebuild the school. Part of him was originally resentful towards Ororo for allying with the Egyptian lunatic. But he also knew he wasn’t a murderer. For all his bluster and pain, he doubted he could follow through with anything. And a part of him hated himself for it. For not being able to challenge those that were involved in his brother’s death, even by simple association.

“I don’t think I ever could. Part of me,” He exhaled, “Part of me really wants to go them, though. Erik and Elizabeth. And…And I don’t know. I’ve avoided them the best I can while they’re here. Sometimes, I just want to walk up to one of them and simply take off my glasses and open my eyes.”

Shiro looked at the distant teen for a moment, remembering his own moments of mental fog and misdirection. His own weaknesses as a younger man.

“Do you think you have the right to perform that type of justice?” Shiro asked softly, “Alone? No one else deciding with you. No transparency or system. To just decide within yourself, with what limited perspective you have, and to simply kill.”

“I don’t know.” Scott’s face tightened as he swallowed a lump, “I’m not smart enough for that, Mr. Yoshida. I…I don’t know, man. I just don’t know.”

“Be careful of when you confuse pain with fair judgement.” Shiro murmured, “It’s a way to a very dark path.” 

***

“…ester. And I just want to conclude by saying that the staff and I could not be…”

Peter was doing his best to politely stand by the rest of the staff as Xavier continued his opening speech on the lawn. He, along with Hank, Shiro, Gary, Alison, Douglas and Jamie were standing either side of the Professor as he addressed almost a hundred students, along with many parents and guardians. Just as he had been doing so for the last _ten minutes._ Ten minutes of consistent standing that was making Peter agitated beyond human comprehension. He only agreed to pose as a ‘ _support staff member’_ so it didn’t look weird that a random man in his mid-twenties was in a school. Rethinking it, it was weird. He sighed as he rotated his neck again, feeling the joints creak. A glum feeling formed. He needed to sort his life out sooner than later.

His sigh paused as he saw Alison walk into the centre of the group, guitar in hand. A small girl was next to her with a Tamborine in hand. She was still wearing those obscene glasses. And then Alison’s song began. One very _long_ song. One about peace, equality, love and understanding…with several lines clearly taken from Jimi Hendrix. The tone and pitch were inconsistent and Jean could’ve sworn she was missing strings in her guitar. As the song continued, the Professor’s smiled tightened, as did his grip on his numb knee. Peter never knew he could hate music so much as he longed for an end.

The sound of applause sparked his hope and he looked up to see the staff and students slowly disperse, most of them heading to the food and drinks provided on tables behind them. Alison and her small assistant were in the middle of a bow but slumped and gave up when they noticed everyone wanted food. Peter eyed the tables closely. Now he _shouldn’t_ use his speed to eat most of the toasted cheese. But the odds of one of them working it out…

“Hiya.”

He turned and stared at the short girl in a sunny yellow dress in front of him. The same one he’d been avoiding for the last four days. He clucked his tongue.

“You pull up well?” He asked weakly.

“I survived.” Jubilee nodded, “You?”

“Fast metabolism. Drank two litres of water before bed. Woke up several times to pee it out. Fine by morning.”

“That’s…not really fair.” Jubilee’s face scrunched up and Peter struggled to continue the conversation for a moment.

“Well…” Peter let out an awkward cough before noticing Scott awkwardly talking to some parents, “I gotta go sav-”

“I remember my terms from that night.” She said and he closed his eyes.

He was honestly hoping she had forgotten. She was too sweat and too funny for someone of his immaturity. And too young. And too genuine. She didn’t let him ponder for long. She was too impatient for that, much like he often was.

“I turn eighteen in four months.” She crossed her arms and took a small step towards, “Why don’t we just…hang out? We might not even be that interested. Then, if we’re actually wanting to make this a thing after a few months, we…re-evaluate?”

He let out a strained huff as he chewed on his tongue. She was a stubborn one. At this rate, she’d be talking her way into the X-Men sooner than Xavier could realise. Even so, Peter couldn’t shift the uneasiness and concern lingering in his gut.

“Don’t you want someone…you know…your age?” He shrugged and gave her an almost desperate look, “I ain’t got that much goin’ for me, Jubes.”

She scoffed and pretended to swat flats away.

“Oh, fuck off. Guys my age have only ever want my tits, ass and hoo-haa. And those that don’t, are boring as fuck. It’s one end or the other. I just want _normal_. And you are in superhero team,” Her voice lowered considerably, “Busted out Magneto from the fucking Pentagon. Fought Apocalypse _by yourself._ I…” She hesitated, “I would’ve drop this if I didn’t think you were actually a decent guy to date.”

Peter said nothing for a moment. He hated moments like these. Moments that actually required maturity. Moments he couldn’t simply run from. Moments like possibly hurting someone. And given his relatively isolated way of living after his powers formed, learning to adapt to other people was still a skill he needed. He was self-aware enough to know that flaw.

“I’ll…I’ll think about it.” He said with an uncharacteristically uneasy tone, “Okay?”

Jubilee smiled softly and gave me a polite nod.

“Okay.” She repeated.

Scott smiled politely as the two adults walked away from him. They recognised him as the ‘ _funny glasses kid’_ from the tours, apparently. Scott shook his head. These things were always lame as hell. He made an attempt to apprehend some lemonade but was cut off by a short, Asian girl with blue hair. One that had her hand extended to him.

“I take it you are a senior here, too?” She asked, her voice thickly laced with a Japanese accent.

“Yeah. I’m Scott.” He said, offering her his hand.

A pained gasp shuddered out of him as his muscles seized tightly. He lost all control of his muscles. A burning wave of something shot from her hand and through his body until it faded. His body twitched as she snorted and giggled.

“A bit of a _shocking_ gift, isn’t it?” She chuckled, seeming pleased at the dull pun.

“Yep. Fantastic.” He gasped, still struggling to stand straight.

“I’m Noriko Ashida. A senior, too. What can you do?” She asked eagerly.

“My eyes…release concussive energy beams.” He panted, finally managing to relax his body.

“Really? That’s very interesting. Can I see?” She asked eagerly as she reached for his glasses.

“Maybe when there aren’t over a hundred possible victims.” A humoured voice interrupted.

Jamie smiled politely before turning to the mildly convulsing X-Man.

“Maybe go easy on the powers here. Like the Professor said.” He chuckled but Noriko bucked up her chin.

“We’re meant to learn them, aren’t we? How do we do that without using them?”

“Controlled spaces where there aren’t toddlers nearby.” He said in a tone that had less than subtle bite to it, “Just watch it, kid.” 

Noriko gave Jamie a small nod, clearly unimpressed. She smiled at Scott.

“See you around.” She said in a low tone before leaving the pair.

“My advice.” Jamie said softly to the confused teenager, “Be careful around that one.” He said and Scott grunted, finally recovering the ability to walk.

He and Jamie made their way to the drinks station and made idle chatter as the cohort around them eagerly descended upon the other tables and seats provided. Across from them, Xavier was having what appeared to be a somewhat awkward conversation with a girl and her father. The man was clearly in some form of well-paying business, given his gelled back black hair, his fancy black suit and the numerous parts of jewellery on his hands and neck. He’d give Yoshida a run for his money in terms of wealthy attire. He also seemed to share Yoshida’s blunt tone. The small girl behind him was much harder to read given the decorate black gown covering her entire body and the niqab garment obscuring everything but her dark eyes.

“As I assured you during the first meeting, we have everything in place to ensure no traditions are skipped or missed.” Xavier said, for what seemed like the fifteenth time, “Sooraya will have a second home here while she studies.”

“And how far away from the male dorms is her room?” Her father asked, making Jamie need to muzzle his humoured snort.

“We have cameras and staff patrolling the _three_ corridors separating the two sets of rooms.” The younger teacher answered and Charles relaxed somewhat, “The kid will be fine.”

The answer seemed to mollify the father, ending his daughter’s endless embarrassment. Even during the first tour, her father had insisted on asking ‘ _Important questions a father needs to ask’_ to Xavier for almost an hour. As if he could talk. He had met Sooraya’s mother at boarding school and she know _exactly_ what they were like. Her grandfather still mentioned it whenever she would visit him, much to her mother’s own embarrassment. Xavier turned to the sixteen-year-old and smiled warmly. She made eye contact and tried not to sink into the chair behind her.

“I really hope you have an amazing year with us. And, if I may say, your power sounds simply incredible.”

Her eyes widened and she looked at her father. Of course he had told the staff. It’d be stupid if he had omitted it. Her stomached tightened as she noticed a handsome boy wearing odd glasses and the teacher beside him staring at her. She loathed being the centre of attention.

“And those powers are, boss?” Jamie asked slowly, looking at Xavier and Sooraya’s father.

“ _Show them, my heart._ ” Her father whispered, “ _Be proud, little one. This is a mutant school, after all.”_

Her wide eyes could not save her. She raised her shaking, bare hand above an empty plate. One that was immediately full of dark sand. Jamie’s mouth opened in confusion before he stared at the girl’s wrist. All she had was a wrist. Her hand was _gone._ Jamie clapped Scott’s shoulder eagerly and let out a deep chuckle, making Sooraya want to hide even more.

“That is…”

“Amazing.” Xavier finished and her father let out a bellowing laugh.

“She is shy. But it is amazing, isn’t it?” He said as they all watched the particles of sand fly back towards her wrist.

The sand swiftly formed fingers and within a moment after that, the rough texture smoothened to form a dark skin tone. Sooraya soon hid her shaking hand within her abaya. Thankfully, the Professor had the mercy to change the topic away from her and onto her father’s travels before settling in the States. At least now she could breathe again.

“...inated by the many complex languages the Celtic groups have produced within their history.”

Douglas was confused. In his experience, individuals enjoyed when someone complimented their language system or history. It made him, in his own opinion, popular within the U.N. Until he was removed. By the people who he thought had liked him. In hindsight, perhaps this wasn’t a great method to make good first impressions.

The family of three in front of him looked less than impressed. Even Gary seemed off put by the conversation, but he was far too polite to say anything. He merely smiled in a supportive way as he sipped at his orange juice.

“I wanted to visited England once.” He continued, attempting again to make the family interested, “But I heard swans attack people. I had a nightmare once where a group of swans attacked me. It made me anxious to be around them.”

“I’m saying this with complete respect, mate.” The tall, British man with an undercut said, “But what the hell are you talking about?”

“Swans.” Douglas said simply, confused at the man’s question.

“I think,” Gary coughed, “that my colleague was curious about your flight. How long’s it take to skip the pond?”

The father stared at Douglas for a moment longer before addressing Gary. The family were clearly reconsidering some things. The short, plump parents were less than impressed by their first engagement with the teachers and their son was just nervous and uncomfortable around them. He awkwardly placed some of his long, brown hair behind his ear as he looked for a way to escape the conversation. He always hated the awkwardness of teachers meeting parents.

“Only a few hours. Jon was yapping about it ‘ _being too cramped’_. At least you had leg room.” He chuckled and his son’s pale cheeks darkened, “You a local?”

“Originally from Wisconsin.” Gary said lightly, “London?”

“Yeah.” His wife said, her arm interlaced tightly with her husband’s, “We’ve never been here, actually. Decided to make a trip of it. You know, once we see things have started well.”

“Mum.” Jon frowned but she waved off his embarrassment.

“He gets shy when we asked questions or still around.” She rolled her eyes, “Call me paranoid but when your son _shoots lasers from his stomach,_ you tend to be over cautious _._ ”

Gary simply stared at the boy for a moment before turning to Douglas. The latter was busy distracting himself by trying to guess how many languages were in the school at the moment.

“Honest, Mrs. Starsmore, that’s not even the most strange power we have here.”

“Strangest.” Douglas said without looking away from the crowd, “Wrong choice of adjective.”

Gary smiled sheepishly to the offput family.

“He takes his role as language teacher _very_ seriously.” He paused.

“So, what can you do?” Jon’s father asked and Gary hummed.

“I can make four pancakes at once without staining the pan.”

Dominikos always hated these types of events. The crowds would always stare at his brace in confusion and judgement. There were children here that looked like birds yet he was _still_ the focus on their scrutiny. It was a simple padding tool. He sighed, losing his appetite as pushed past a pair of gawking newcomers.

“What’s wrong, D-D-Dom?”

Dominikos’ jaw tightened as he stared at a trio of snickering students. Sam, Neil and Tim. The most bland names for the most bland people he’d ever come across. They even had shit powers. Sensing emotions, ability to stretch _mildly,_ and the power to make bubbles come out of his mouth. Utterly incredible. He shook his head, at least the best he could in his brace, as he tried to walk away. Neil quickly stepped in front of him.

“What’s wrong? We were just playing, D-D-Dom.” He laughed before glaring at the boy, “No need to make the school collapse or something.”

Dominikos said nothing as he tried to step away but Sam blocked his escape. His chest tightened as he tried to focus on breathing and cooling off. He couldn’t make a scene. Not with this many people nearby.

“I think he’s trying to run off. Learn to fucking speak, you dumbass.” Sam shrugged irritably, “Got nothing to say, D-Dom?”

“You guys are great at making friends.”

The four of them looked at a tall, thin teenager with heavily tanned skin and a thick South American accent. He smiled at them brightly, not put off by the foul looks three of them were sending to him. Neil soon smiled politely as he stepped forward.

“You must be a newbie.” He offered his hand, “I’m Neil. This is Sam and Tim.”

“Good to meet you. And you are?” He asked Dominikos, looking over Neil’s shoulder to look at him.

“Ah, that’s just D-D-Dom.” Sam snickered, “He can’t talk for shit but can ruin buildings like nothing. Idiot almost topped the school a few years back.”

Dominikos’ face turned sour and he desperately focussed on his breathing.

“Roberto.” The Brazilian boy stated before bucking his chin to Neil, “You have an issue with him?”

“He’s a dumbass that destroys half the rooms we have whenever he wets the bed.” Neil chuckled but soon stopped, frowning at Roberto, “We got an issue? I mean, I’m kinda a big deal here. If you need anything, I’m kinda the guy yo-”

“B-bullshit.” Dominikos spat but froze once he felt Neil grab his arm and jerk him closer.

“What’d you just fucking mutter, D-D-Dom?”

Neil’s breath hitched as he felt an arm wrap around his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Roberto’s free hand hover next to his face. One that was on fire.

“Neil, was it?” Said boy nodded, “Please go.”

Roberto shoved Neil forward and watched him stumble into Tim. They spun around but wisely chose not to say anything. Yoshida was nearby and from what they’d heard, he was a complete dick to most students. They muttered as they scampered off, heading towards the school.

Roberto offered Dominikos a soft smile.

“Is your name even Dom?”

“Dom…Dom...” He grimaced, “Dominikos.”

“Nice to meet you. What can you do? I doubt ruining rooms is a power.” He laughed and Dominikos smiled sheepishly.

“Earthquakes.”

“Deus. Really?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s awesome!” Roberto rubbed his hands together, “Can you make that cake over there collapse?”

***

Charles hummed softly in the medical bay as he looked at the squared board closely. He knew if he moved his bishop, Erik would just guess his bluff and take his knight. He always did. The benefits of playing these games over a span of decades. You knew your opponent’s methodology well. The downside was that so did he.

“I take it that today was a success?” Erik asked in a mild tone.

Charles nodded, still deciding his next move. As he did so, Erik took a sip of his bourbon. For such a strict headmaster, his old friend had no qualms in bringing the bottle down to share. And through a school, no less.

“The students, both human and mutant, are settled in for classes to begin on Monday. The parents and government agents pretending to be parents seemed pleased. Or at least, sated.” He crinkled his nose, “Though, the cake did collapse at one point as Alison was cutting it. She wasn’t pleased about her jacket being ruined.”

Erik smiled tightly, watching as Charles moved his pawn. It was an oddly pointless move.

“Enjoy the success, Charles. While it lasts.” Erik grunted and Charles sighed into his glass.

“You just cannot accept that there’s a chance for co-existence, can you?”

“I refuse to put a hope in fiction over preparing for reality. Humans have schools. Mutants have nothing.” He shook his head, “Let them have theirs and us our own.”

Charles smiled softly.

“You sound isolationist now.” Erik looked at him, perplexed, “Has the mighty Erik decided to simply isolate instead of rule? Now, what part of history does that sound like?”

“I’m not like this country. I do not care about race or who you take to bed or-”

“You care enough about species to have killed for it.”

“And you care enough about a fool’s dream to risk others being killed for it.” He took a deep sip before slamming his glass down roughly, “Those students, above us, are your collateral.”

“They’re our proof in that we can work and be happy together.” Charles countered.

“Until it’s proved we can’t. Humans get scared that there’s been a human child hurt. They target the students and then the teachers. And then we’re being hunted again.”

Charles leaned up and stared at Erik.

“Then we’re both wrong.” He admitted before hastily continuing, “In our approaches, at least. You think violence and a show of strength works. Well, it didn’t two decades ago and it didn’t a decade ago. And I…I dream of a better, peaceful future. One that might not exist.” He was silent for a moment, “I guess we’re both trying to play at the strings of fate, praying we don’t die out in the end.”

Erik stroked his chin as he thought.

“Perhaps.” His tone drew melancholic and he leaned forward, “Imagine what we could have done all those years ago, together. The things we could have achieved for our race, this world. We could have made wonders.”

Charles finished his drink and tried to ignore the hardness in his throat as he remembered decades of wasted arguments. Of pointless battles and conflict. With the main victims in the end being mutants.

“The wonders we could have made.” He whispered before clearing his throat, “I, um, would like you and Mortimer to meet with Hank tomorrow. We’re rebuilding the blackbird and I was hoping that…”

***

“…nd he was pissed, of course. But he had enough of a sense of humour to at least pass the exam we did. He was a pretty awesome marker.”

Scott smiled warmly as Bill finished. The diner was flowing with people grabbing their dinners, making it hard to hear each other at times. But Scott clung to each word as Bill recounted various stories about his older brother. In many ways, it mirrored story time when he was a child. Even then, Scott was a distant figure. A part of his family life that Scott deeply regretted. In hindsight, having a close family wasn’t something he could gloat about. He barely knew his older brother and his parents were too busy with work or keeping with appearances. A fact that made him dull to their many criticisms of their youngest son.

“I, uh, thanks.”

“For what?” Bill asked with a tilted head.

“For this. I didn’t…It’s been nice hearing about Alex. It’s been good.”

Bill smiled in a tired fashion.

“Kid, don’t be stupid.” He tightened his jaw as he stared at his mug, “I lost my sister and parents a few months back. Not too phased by the parents,” He cleared his throat, “But I didn’t really know Sarah as much as I should’ve. I would appreciate someone telling me about her, too.”

Scott took a moment.

“My parents are kinda shitty, too. If…If you don’t mind me as-”

“Roof collapse.” Bill answered as he continued staring at the cup before him before suddenly clearing his throat and forcing a smile, “And, from what it sounds like, you’ll be doing exams soon?” Bill asked with a clearly forced laughed and Scott’s expression became uneasy.

“Start next Monday. Had orientation today and was introduced as a ‘ _senior you youngers can rely on_ ’.”

“Hank?”

“No, the Professor actually.” He explained, “Doc isn’t that formal.”

“I’m seriously impressed at how far those two have come. A hundred students? That’s honestly amazing, Scott. I don’t think you get it. I mean, I had a _dozen_ other students with me. I’m surprised he’s pulling it off.”

Scott smiled softly and nodded.

“He’s nailing it. He has new teachers, new students, help from old friends, even government backing. Well, that’s what some people are saying. I don’t really know.”

The original statement made Bill’s lip twitch slightly but he hid it well under his coffee. He lowered it and made a mock clapping motion.

“Well done, nonetheless. And have you reconsidered taking the ethics class I asked you to take?” He snickered and Scott flipped him off.

“Yeah, totally. Let’s discuss immigrant rights. Let’s discuss if God’s real. Let’s discuss-”

“You really didn’t take that class, did you?” Bill snorted, “Is stealing to feed your starving family wrong?”

“Sheesh. The one everyone goes to.” He shrugged, “No. I think it’s understandable. Next?”

Bill laughed and clapped his hands together.

“I’m starting to like this game. Hmm. Oh. At what point does our moral responsibility to prevent evil become selfish interference?”

Scott chuckled as he chewed his tongue in thought. It took a few moments before he answered.

“If this is about the whole non-invention…Is everything okay?”

Bill was frowning as he stared at his watch. He suddenly looked very irritated but smiled again as he looked up.

“Sorry, Scotty. Need to run.” He explained as he rose, grabbed his work satchel, and dropped some money on the table, “Completely forgot about a call I need to make. You good to get home?”

“I drove.”

“Then be careful. Driving at night here sucks.” He warned as Scott stood and shook his hand, “Have a good evening. And good luck for the year ahead. You’ll do fine.”

Scott shrugged.

“We’ll see.”

“We’ll see indeed. We’ll catch up soon. I still need to tell you about how Alex put dye in everyone’s water bottles and made them think the rapture or something was happening.”

He swiftly exited the diner and made his way through the old shops and houses along the strip. He disappeared into the back lanes, shifting his way into seclusion and ensuring he was well hidden in the darkness. With one last look around to ensure his isolation, he closed his eyes. The growing headache that formed during his dinner eased and slipped forwards from his mind. As he opened his eyes, he saw the alleyway around him melt into black and blue shadows. A faint white mist glowed around his feet as pillars of stone and marble surrounded him. Before his small, insignificant body was an immense being of shadows and mirth. Bill could see no legs, merely his torso, arms and head. He still towered tens of times higher than the mutant. He was a nightmarish blue, with oversized and protruding teeth the size of swords. And his eyes…A bright, ungodly yellow that beamed below at the small man before him. Bill sighed irritably.

“I was in a meeting with the Summers sibling.” He spat, “I asked you to wait.”

“And I asked you to keep me updated.” The being growled, his voice as deep as valley and it echoed like such, “Yet you’ve grown quiet since you were delivered that helmet.”

A blue talon pointed to the satchel at Bill’s feet.

“Delivered? I recall finding it myself. Granted, you did point me in the right direction.”

“I reward all my friends.”

“Noted.” Bill crossed his arms, “I think Lehnsherr is hiding with Xavier. Scott made a reference but I don’t know for sure. I didn’t exactly get the chance to ask more questions.” He snorted, “And given Munroe is definitely there and you say Braddock is as well…All three are in one place.”

The being unleashed an unsightly smile.

“An easy hunt as all are in one place.”

“Yeah, with _kids._ And we had an agreement. Unless…You’re okay with us attacking the school?” The being said nothing but it’s smile was gone, “Exactly. We need to draw them out to a neutral space.”

“And away from Xavier. He will protect them from you. Even with Lehnsherr’s helmet, he is a risk.”

“Well, there’s another telepath you may need to worry about.” Bill grunted, “Scott’s girlfriend-”

“Jean Grey.” A chuckle vibrated the very floor Bill stood on, “The one who tore En Sabah Nur’s mind apart. I am aware of her. She recently ventured into this world for a time. She is powerful but _young._ She is no challenge.”

“Unlike Xavier.” Bill tattered as he began to pace, “We need to pick them off but quickly. Split them.” He paused, “And divide the telepaths.” He turned to the being towering over him, “I’ll lure the team away to minimise casualties. I’ll knock out Grey. As she’s unconscious, you can put her in the Astral Plane. Lure Xavier in. You get your prize. And then I finish off the Horsemen. I’d ask you to spy on the mansion but let me guess. Still scared Xavier will sense you?”

The being said nothing. For a split moment Bill shivered as he reconsidered his words.

“An acceptable _start_ to a plan.” It said, choosing to ignore the question Bill posed, “The helmet will protect you from Xavier’s mind, as it has been. He is looking for you in that machine of his. His mental presence is like a child shouting.”

“Ah, yes.” Bill grimaced, “About that. I need you to find me a replacement. A non-magnetic material that has similar properties to Lehnsherr’s helmet. It’s a tool for him to kill me with if I engage him wearing it.”

The being bared its teeth in a smile.

“I will find such a replacement.”

“Good. I’ll update you once I get a better idea of the plan in place. You get Xavier…And I get the others.”

“And we _all_ get justice.”

Bill nodded solemnly at the being.

“Agreed. Anything else, Shadow King?”

As he asked, the shadows were ripped from his vision. The walls and damn alley floor flew at him as he tried to fight off a panic attack. He felt rushed and woozy as dozens of objects flashed and spun into existence again. Returning from the Astral Plane was always an unpleasant experience for non-telepaths. He took a laboured step forward before noticing someone at the far end of the alleyway.

“Are you okay, man?” He shouted at Bill, “You, ah…You were having a pretty intense convo there.”

Bill shook his head with a filthy express. He pressed forwards into the darkness, digging into his bag and hiding his mind under Magneto’s helmet as he did so…

***

A/N: Hi all!

I hope you’ve all been well. Thank you so much for the comments and kudos. It’s fantastic to see and please keep it up. And thank you so much for continuing to read. I hope you’re enjoying it.

Next chapter will sort of be the last casual chapter before things kick off into the end part of this story. It’ll focus on Kurt, Mystique and Psylocke, as well as the relationship Bill has with Shadow King.

If you have any feedback or comments, please leave some. Always nice to see. Otherwise, have a lovely week ahead!

Fact of the chapter: Sloths store their body fat in the pads of their feet.


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